


This Is The Day When Things Fall Into Place

by Velocity_Owl87



Category: One Direction (Band), Zayn Malik (Musician)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Domestic, Animal Traits, Awkwardness, Caretaking, Cat/Human Hybrids, Character Study, Introspection, Kidnapping, Libraries, Major Character Injury, Male Friendship, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Multi, Recovery, Slice of Life, Social Issues, Strangers to Lovers, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-06
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-08-19 21:01:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8224679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Velocity_Owl87/pseuds/Velocity_Owl87
Summary: Niall loves his friend Zayn despite him being a bit of a clueless and self-centered twit sometimes. After the latest implosion of Zayn's latest relationship, Niall thinks that maybe Zayn needs someone to take care and focus on rather than just himself to become a better person. So he suggests that maybe Zayn could get a hybrid in order for this to be put into practice and ends up taking him to a breeder. Enter Liam, an Omega hybrid that is in desperate need of adoption and a good owner or else he'll be shipped off to the mills and then worse once his time is up.When he sees Zayn, he is hopeful that he will be the owner he wants. When Zayn sees Liam, despite himself, he knows he wants Liam with him for the rest of his life.And he will do everything in his power for that to be the case.





	1. This Is The Day Your Life Will Surely Change

**Author's Note:**

> I blame anime for my fascination with cat hybrids and wanted to try my hand at writing one that was an exploration of a relationship between two people who need each other in varying ways. There will be a bit of a social commentary, with how the hybrids are treated and what their rights are as well as of their offspring. But mostly, it will be about Liam and Zayn and their circle of friends.
> 
> Proofed and edited, but if there are issues they will be fixed later on. 
> 
> Title is from Manic Street Preacher's "This Is The Day" and various other songs.

Niall was scrolling through his phone, giving a few comments here and there as Zayn continued his monologue when he came across the site. It was a common occurrence with Zayn and it was something that Niall had learned to take in stride. Zayn was a great guy, a stand up friend, but he was a bit stuck on himself and had a crisis at least once every two months. 

The most recent one had to do with his girlfriend finally getting fed up with his shit and taking off. Niall sympathised, but he also knew that Zayn could be immature and wanted to be taken care of more than he wanted to take care of someone. Maybe if he had someone (No, Niall told himself. Scratch the someone) or something to take care of, that might make him a tad more empathetic and responsible.

But what could do that for Zayn?

He puzzled about it until he accidentally clicked on a hybrid seller website and was taken to Cowell’s breeders. The site was eye catching, but tastefully done and Niall’s eye was caught by the picture of a friendly, dark eyed and brown haired Norwegian Forest Cat hybrid that just barely looked like he was out of kittenhood. The impression was strengthened by the fleece blanket he was wrapped in. He scrolled through, finding a round faced Manx tabby like hybrid, a sleek Persian crossbreed female with a friendly smile and a lanky Bengal cross with stunning green eyes. 

“Zayn! I think I got it! Take a look at this!”

Niall interrupted the monologue as he shoved his mobile into Zayn’s unresisting hands and pointed to the site.

Zayn looked up from Niall’s mobile, an expression of skepticism crossing his fine featured face as he did so. Niall, catching his expression gave a theatrical groan as he then flopped down next to his friend, making Zayn bounce uncomfortably on the old cushions. 

“Are you fucking serious? Cat hybrids? That’s your answer to me spilling out my guts to you about everything going on in my life?”

Zayn asked disdainfully. Niall raised an eyebrow at Zayn’s questions. 

“Yes and if you get your head out of your arse, I’ll explain.”

Zayn returned his mobile and sat back, gesturing for Niall to give what would no doubt be a convoluted and bizarre explanation that would have Zayn shaking his head in both amusement and irritation when it would be done. Niall grinned and put the mobile down between them, the site for cat hybrid adoptions still open.

“Zayn, I love you like a brother, but you’re basically a selfish arsehole focused on himself in so many ways it’s not even funny.”

Zayn’s hands clenched at that comment and he knew his eyes went light gold at that comment. Yes, he was friends with Niall, but he wasn’t going to sit there to get insulted or told unpleasant truths that he sometimes suspected about himself. He glowered at Niall, who didn’t cower and only raised his hands up.

“Wait. I’m not trying to insult you or make you angry with this information. It’s more like telling you that  _ if _ you had something else to take care of, you’d get out of that mindset and improve not just yourself, but the rest of your life.”

Niall’s blue eyes softened then as he watched the words hit home and deflate the rest of the anger that Zayn had let flare up after Niall’s opening remarks. His eyes lost their fierceness as he then focused inward, carefully analysing the words that Niall had just spoken to him.

He hated to admit it, but Niall had a point. He was pretty self-centered and if things didn’t go his way, he often bailed out without a second glance behind him. He had to admit that it was some kind of miracle that he was still friends with Niall and Louis (sort of) after so long. He had to admit (albeit grudgingly) that Niall probably had a point. After all, there was a reason why he was sitting on his friend’s couch after bemoaning his estrangement from the other friends in his group and the breakdown of his last relationship. At least work was something he hadn’t fucked up yet and he was sure the only reason for that was that he worked alone more often than not in the archiving department of the Uni library. 

He also had to admit that he hadn’t figured out a better way of dealing with the situation and had come to visit Niall in order to figure out  _ something _ . And as much as he bitched, he did have to admit that as weird as Niall’s ideas sounded on paper, in practice they somehow  _ always _ tended to work out. 

He rubbed his thumb across his bottom lip as his eyes then fell onto the website with its bright and cheery layout and the pictures of cat hybrids looking up at the cameras as their pictures were taken. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t afford one and besides, he had always thought about having a pet. Might as well do it now.

He looked up at Niall and sighed in defeat, making Niall grin cautiously. He knew he had won, but he didn’t want to gloat in case Zayn got huffy and refused to take his advice and go through with getting a hybrid. So he simply sat there and waited for him to make the next move. 

“Alright. I get your point. Let’s just go and see what’s available. Do you have an address for that place?”

Niall grinned. 

“I’ve already punched it into my gps. Let’s go.”

Zayn only rolled his eyes as he grabbed his own mobile, keys and wallet. Trust Niall to be one step ahead of him. 

~*~*~*~*~

Liam sat huddled in his favourite fleecy blanket, his ears lowered as he fought to give into sleep. Although he was dreadfully comfortable and tired, he didn’t want to fall asleep just yet. He had heard murmurs that there were would be more potential owners coming in. It had started from the far side, where Harry was being kept, trickled down through Jade and then Ed and finally to him. 

Harry had overheard Cowell’s phone conversation, which had consisted on Cowell assuring them that they would be open late and that they had a good selection of hybrids on sale. Harry had gotten excited and the excitement of the possibility of finally being taken to a permanent home had spread like wildfire. 

Even to Liam, who often preferred to nap in the late afternoons. But the possibility of finally getting an Alpha and a permanent home had also got him on alert and willing to put on an image if it could only happen. He was getting anxious, since other than Harry, he was the last of his litter mates to remain at the breeders. And he was afraid that if he wasn’t taken in, he would be going to the mills to breed litters and have them taken away from him until he was too old to breed and then be taken out to that mysterious place that they called “The North” and disappear. 

He shuddered and pulled his blanket even tighter around himself. No one really knew what happened in that place, but everyone was well aware that it was not good. No one ever returned and it was a threat hanging over everyone’s head if they misbehaved or weren’t sold on time. He bit his lip and willed his ears to stand up again. No sense in thinking about something that he had no control over. 

Besides, he wanted to look warm and welcoming, something that was a challenge when he was one of the tallest Omega hybrids, barring Harry. At least Harry had those bright green eyes and a cheeky smile to offset his height. He on the other hand, despite his babyish face and deep brown eyes, was not what people wanted. He was too big, too sickly, and too much like an Alpha or Beta, but without their skills. 

His tail twitched in response to his thoughts and he forced himself to think of a happy owner that would be delighted to take him home. Someone that would take care of him and cuddle him and praise him. Someone that would be happy to have his company and enjoy it as well. He was quite enthralled in this daydreaming that he nearly missed the doors opening.

Alert, he stuck his head out and shuffled closer to the door of his cage. He again cursed the fact that he was in the furthest cage and had to wait to see the two men (Alphas, his nose told him once their scents filled the room) that accompanied Cowell. He gathered as much from their trousers and shoes, which looked much more expensive than others he had seen in the past. The breeder was giving them his pitch as they paused and looked into the other cages. One of them paused in front of Harry’s cage and Liam’s heart started beating rapidly in his chest. If they wanted Harry, or Ed, or Jade, he wasn’t going to stand a chance. Especially not when they saw how cute and appealing the other Omegas were.

He let out a faint chirrup of distress without meaning to and clamped his hands over his mouth once he realised what he had done. He hoped and prayed that the Alphas or Cowell hadn’t heard him and scurried to the back of his cage. He heard rapid footsteps and then the handsomest Alpha he had ever seen was crouched down in front of his cage. Apart from being lithe and tall, he had nice eyes and dark, dark hair and he looked almost as good as he had imagined his forever owner looking. 

It was this realisation that had him moving forward to take a closer look at the Alpha. It pleased the Alpha to see him, the action making him smile. Liam’s eyes widened at the sight and he was utterly gone. This was his owner. He was sure of it and he was going to go home with him. He was sure of it. 

The Alpha stood up then and walked over to Cowell and the other Alpha.

“This one. At the very end. That’s the one I want.”

“Are you sure? Liam’s very sweet, but hardly trained. Not like Ed or-”

“I want him. I don’t care.It’s Liam or no one at all.”

The Alpha interrupted, his voice husky and low as he stated his intentions, making Liam sit up and chirrup again.

Another Alpha knelt down to look at him, this one smaller with blonde hair and kind blue eyes. He looked at Liam and winked before standing up again, making Liam breathe a bit easier. 

“Look, Simon-May I call you Simon?-Listen Simon, Zayn is very particular about what he wants and this Liam is who he wants. He doesn’t need a trained domestic hybrid. He just wants a companion. Liam, from the information on the website, fits that role.”

“He does. But Liam has had health complications-”

“I’m a Registered Nurse. I’m sure that I’ll be able to assist if anything arises.”

The voice was now a tad less friendly, showing the steel that had been wrapped up in a warm Irish accent and casual friendliness. Cowell wasn’t stupid and Liam knew that despite the desire to push the more marketable (and expensive) Jade and Ed, Cowell was not going to let a sale slip through his fingers due to greed. 

“It looks like you and Zayn have all the bases covered when it comes to taking care of Liam. How about we go draw the paperwork up for Liam and Harry then?”

Liam’s mouth fell open at the words. Both he and Harry were going home with the Alphas? Was it some kind of joke?

He was still dumbfounded when his cage was opened and the first Alpha ( _ Zayn) _ coaxed him out of his cage. Liam shuffled out timidly, his hands clutching his blanket as he stood to his full height, which was just an inch or so above his new Alpha. He blinked at his Alpha, who only smiled a tight-lipped smile that made those unusual eyes of his glow. 

“I’m Zayn and I’m going to take you home. Is that allright?”

Liam blinked slowly, and nodded, making Zayn’s smile get slightly wider to reveal nice teeth. 

“Perfect. Let’s get you some clothes and then we can go home. Would you like new clothes?”

Even though the words were confidently spoken, Liam could hear an undercurrent of insecurity in them. It was so faint that Zayn himself probably had no idea he was doing it and it made Liam like him even more than before. He wasn’t as perfect as Liam had thought at first and that made him want to please Zayn even further. To ease that insecurity away with cuddles and licks and loads of…

He pushed those thoughts away. It was too soon for any attachments! He scolded himself. He had to wait and see what Zayn was truly like before he did that. So he reined in his feelings before he replied.

“Th-That would be lovely. Thank you.”

His voice was hoarse from disuse, but he was intelligible. His dam had made sure of that, since the hybrids that were non-verbal weren’t as well treated and usually sold at lower prices to zoos and lower quality homes. Or worse, menial labour. 

Zayn’s mouth was slack when he heard him, but the surprise was only momentary.  Zayn wrapped an arm around Liam’s waist and led him to the little boutique Cowell kept stocked with clothes, toys and other goods hybrid owners felt were needed for their companion pets. Liam was slightly nervous and shivering. This wasn’t a part of the shop he saw often and it was much colder than in the cage area. 

His discomfort didn’t last long and he soon found himself wearing a pair of jeans with a hole for his large and fluffy tail, a soft henley shirt, socks and comfortable shoes. He had his blanket folded neatly under his arm and was standing next to Harry as they both watched their owners finalise the paperwork and pick up a few odds and ends that they had seen their hybrids eyeing. 

“Feels surreal, doesn’t it?”

Harry murmured, his tawny tail waving back and forth in excitement. He was bouncing on his toes, his eyes fixed on Niall as he spoke. 

“I know. I hoped, but didn’t think it would happen.”

Liam replied, his voice still hoarse. Harry purred, his ears going up as Niall came up to him.

“Ready to go, princess?”

Harry purred a reply, much to Liam’s amusement. He couldn’t blame him for being so happy. As soon as Zayn reached for his hand, he started doing the same.

He had gotten his wish. 

He was finally getting a home and he couldn’t be any happier.

His large tail stood straight up and waved, making Zayn grin at the sight. 


	2. When I'm This Still, You Are My Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zayn and Niall do their homework. Harry and Liam get acclimated and talk about their new owners and their hopes for them. Things are moving well and then there's always something to throw a spanner in the works.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter switches from various viewpoints and gives a bit of a background on Zayn, Niall and their relationships. It also shows some of the laws and societal views regarding hybrids. 
> 
> In this verse, Liam and Harry are the equivalent of eighteen and just now reaching sexual maturity. Liam though, is a bit older than Harry, who is still not there yet. 
> 
> Proofed, but if mistakes remain, they will be fixed. Chapter title is from "So Why So Sad" By the Manic Street Preachers.

“What the fuck do you mean I gotta stay in tonight, Niall? It’s fucking _Friday._ Besides, Louis just texted. Wants to meet us at the pub for eight.”

Zayn pointed out as he and Niall sat in his kitchen while Liam and Harry had been placed in Zayn’s bedroom to get a feel of their flat and get acclimated. They decided on Zayn’s bedroom due to Liam being utterly bewildered when they had entered the flat. Harry was also twitchy and had grabbed onto Liam and wouldn’t let go. So they had let the hybrids stay in the room and had gone to the kitchen table to look through the paperwork and manuals that Niall had insisted on getting before they left the breeder.

Niall raised an eyebrow and pinched his nose as he glared at Zayn over his reading glasses.

“Zayn...Did you already forget _why_ we currently are slogging through “The Basic Care of Hybrids for Dummies” and mountains of paperwork?”

Zayn blinked and slumped at the table, half-heartedly poking at the thick paperback open in front of him. He didn’t want to admit it, but he honestly _had_ forgotten about Liam and Harry. They hadn’t let out a peep since they had been reluctantly deposited in his room and he had gotten the text from Louis and the chance to apologize had pushed thoughts of the hybrids out of his head.

Niall sighed and closed the book, keeping his finger in between the pages as to not lose his place. He got it. He really did. Zayn wasn’t mean. Just thoughtless and he knew that the bust up with Louis was eating at him. He understood what the text represented to Zayn, having seen the pattern of Zayn and Louis’ friendship over the years: Bust up, iciness for weeks, alcoholic peace offering, drunken apologies and then everything would be back to normal.

This had been one of their longer unresolved fights. Niall had only seen the aftermath of it, with Louis screaming incoherent obscenities while Zayn stood there with his hands covering his bloody nose. Louis had gone at him again when Niall had entered the room. Or tried to, since Niall had grabbed him and pulled him into the loo to clean him up and calm him down. For an Omega to get that agitated, something serious had taken place and Niall didn’t feel that it was the time or place to quiz a visibly upset Louis about what had gone on between himself and Zayn. So he got him calm, clean and handed him off to his Alpha sister before locking himself in his room.

He was sure that Zayn needed the time and space to calm down and he wasn’t in the mood to get snarled at. They had learned from experience that they had to have space in those situations after they ended up in a fist fight. Their neighbours hadn’t appreciated _that_. Nor had his brother, who ended up picking them up from the station afterwards.

“Although Liam and Harry aren’t running away or making noise, it _is_ overwhelming for them to be here. I’m sure it’s a thousand times better than being at the breeder’s, but we have to stay with them at least for a few days. They need a routine and judging from their background, they need the assurance that we’re not going to kick them to the curb.”

At this, Zayn’s head shot up, his eyes wide.

“What? Why would they think that?”

Niall pushed Liam’s folder towards Zayn, who opened it and skimmed it fast, his mouth a taut line when he read the brief precis of Liam’s and to an extent, Harry’s history.

_“Liam and Harry are the last of the first litter of “Exotics”-The first successful Hybrid of exotic cat breeds and human DNA. Although their littermates were quickly snapped up (Manx, Turkish Van, Cornish Rex, Cymru) Liam (Norwegian Forest Cat) and Harry (Bengal) remained. This was partly due to their respective health issues (See Harry’s file for further information) and their secondary gender presentation._

_Liam was born with one working kidney, resulting in health complications that put off prospective buyers. His health has stabilised during his maturity period, but his presenting as an Omega was also a drawback due to him not fitting criteria. Despite this, Liam is very warm, nurturing and affectionate. He requires a stable home life with an attentive owner until he is quite comfortable in his surroundings. He has basic domestic training, basic literacy and numeracy, loves music and would make a great companion or nanny hybrid._

_Both Liam and Harry are capable of breeding litters despite their health complications. Liam has not ever been bred and is due for his mature heat soon._

_If you decide to produce a litter with him, we have included the mating permission form as well as the ownership of offspring form to be filled out once the litter has been born.”_

Zayn let his head fall back as he forced himself to not get angry at what he had just read. He knew that Hybrids were property, even though they were more human than animal, despite some of the traits.Yet it still sickened him to read that if (And that was a big _if)_ he did have children with Liam, he would, in effect, be owning his kittens. A shudder went through his body at the thought of owning them. As if they were a pair of his shoes or car.

He knew that legislation was moving quickly ever since hybrids had come onto the scene and fell into a weird limbo between human and animal rights. Things were definitely way better than they had been fifteen years prior. Yet the stigma of Hybrid rights and matings remained. Liam was pretty fit, he hadn’t been blind to the charms of the Omega, yet the idea of having a litter with him didn’t sit right with Zayn.

“That’s kind of all sorts of fucked up.”

He finally said as he straightened up to look at Niall, who was watching him carefully. He sighed and pulled his phone out and fired off a text to Louis before turning to Niall.

“I just asked him if we can get together here. Maybe it’s better they meet each other now, rather than later.”

Niall kept his face neutral at that. It was a small start, but at least it was something.

“So what should we do with them now? Feed them or something? What does the book say?”

~*~*~*~*~

“So what do you think of Zayn and Niall, then, Li?”

Harry asked, his tail swishing back and forth as he opened a drawer and stuck his face into it, curious as to what its contents were.

Liam shrugged as he kneaded the comforter he had used along with his blanket to make himself a nest in Zayn’s double bed. Zayn’s scent of sandalwood was warm and comforting to him and he simply wanted to wrap himself in it now that his skin was itching and feeling like it was too small for his body. He didn’t know why he was feeling that way, but he knew that being wrapped up in Zayn’s scent eased the symptoms, so he built a nest and watched as his litter mate examined the room.

Harry had been a bit miffed at being shuttled off with Liam, since he wanted to stay with Niall and properly scent him and see what made him tick. He liked the blonde, his scent of clean sea grass appealing to him and his own warm bread scent. He looked forward to spending time alone with him and being shut off sort of hurt. He suspected that there was a reason for putting them in the room. Already, he had memorised Zayn’s scent and gotten a sense of what kind of an Alpha he was. He was good for Liam, and if he wasn’t, Harry would make sure that he would regret it.

“I like them. They smell nice.”

Liam murmured, his hands still as he finally got his nest perfect and curled up in it. Harry hummed as he closed the drawer and skipped around the room, taking in the pile of art materials in one corner, the pile of brightly coloured novels in another, the clothes haphazardly shoved in the wardrobe and the bright art on the walls. He guessed Liam would like the room, but it wasn’t his and he was thankful that he didn’t have to sleep in it full time.

“Do you think you’d want a litter with him?”

Harry asked as he crawled into the nest with Liam and curled up around his litter mate, sending both of them purring at the contact, their tails intertwining as they sought the comfort of being together. Something that wasn’t frequent when they had started to mature. Liam shrugged,

“Maybe? It’s too early to think about that. Why, do you want one with Niall?”

It was Harry’s turn to shrug.

“Too young to think about that yet, Li.”

He replied, running his hand through Li’s hair, which was always kept shaved close to his scalp, since it tended to get tangled quickly. He was surprised and slightly worried at how warm Li’s skin felt and would have snatched his hand back if it hadn’t been for Li’s purring getting louder at the touch. It was true that he was most touchy feely out of all of them, but this craving for contact was not like Liam. Could he already be-

The thought was mercifully cut off by a sharp knock on the door right before it opened to reveal his Niall and Li’s Zayn.

“Sorry for the wait. We’re going to start dinner now. Any preferences?”

“Nope! Anything’s good! I’m starving!”

Harry exclaimed as he leapt up from the bed and practically threw himself at Niall, who caught him and laughed at his show of exuberance.

Liam was a bit slower at getting up, looking torn between wanting to be with Zayn and getting food and staying in his nest. Zayn noticed the sluggishness and looked at Niall, who frowned and jerked his head towards the kitchen. Zayn nodded and moved towards Liam, wrapping his arm around Liam’s waist. Liam, once he was touched, brightened up. His purrs got louder and it was then that Zayn noticed how much heat he was throwing off.

He cast a glance at the Omega in case he was feverish or sick, but saw nothing other than happiness at having him near. Seeing that made a pang of guilt hit him at his earlier callousness at wanting to take off and leave Liam with Niall and Harry. Liam liked him, probably had already imprinted on him if the nest was any indication. He hadn’t ever had someone be so intensely attached to him and it both humbled and scared him.

Someone depended on him. He was someone’s entire universe and rather than wanting to run away from the responsibility, he felt that he had to man up and face it. Liam needed him and he wasn’t going to fuck it up. He had already fucked up so much already. This was probably the time of his life that he needed to actually get it right.

“Let’s go then. The faster we get to the kitchen, the faster it will be to get dinner done.”

Zayn rejoined, keeping his voice as steady as he could. And if it shook a little, he’d never admit it.

~*~*~*~*~

“I think he’s starting to go into pre-heat.”

Niall paused in stirring the stew and looked up at Zayn, who was busy chopping tomatoes and cucumbers for the salad. Harry and Liam were out in the eating and living area, exploring to their heart’s content, although Niall did notice that Liam was gravitating towards Zayn’s side of the room and was wrapped up in the throw that Zayn’s sister had bought for him.

“I think so too and I’m sure he’s so close we can’t get him suppressants.”

Zayn swore quietly as he recalled that the books said it was reckless and downright stupid to get a maturing Omega on suppressants. And with the way that Liam was keeping him in sight, Zayn had no real chance to sneak out and maybe buy him toys. He cursed himself for not thinking of it when they had been at the breeders. But then again, they hadn’t suspected that the possibility was there for it to happen.

“What are you thinking of doing about it?”

Zayn sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe keep him in my room while I go and get some toys and stuff for him? I mean, it’s not ideal, but it’s the best we can do with it being so-”

A loud yowl made them look at the living room, where a frenzied Liam was currently being held back by a frantic looking Harry.

“What’s wrong with him? Why is he acting that way?”

Niall asked as he and Zayn rushed to the living room. Once he was near, Liam managed to break loose from his litter mate’s grip and climb into Zayn’s arms, wrapping his arms and legs tight around him, overbalancing them both and sending them crashing to the floor, where Liam started to rut against Zayn.

“He’s in full blown heat. Zaynie’s gotta mate him.”

Harry distinctly replied, freezing everyone except Liam in the room.

“Well, shit.”


	3. You Have Broken Through My Armour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niall and Harry spend some time together, Zayn ruminates over the mating as Liam sleeps, and Louis finally decides to investigate exactly what's going on with his idiot friends. Oh and brunch happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a weird chapter, since we have Zayn being introspective at what is a completely surprising turn of events. Liam doesn't get much of a voice here, so I guess it's a trade off from the first chapter. Niall and Harry bond like the dorks they are and we get to see Louis.
> 
> Proofed and edited, but if mistakes appear, they will be fixed later on. 
> 
> Title of the chapter is from "You Stole the Sun from My Heart" By Manic Street Preachers.

Niall looked at the closed door of Zayn’s room, wincing whenever he heard another loud exclamation or loud yowl.

It had been a near thing, with Liam stubbornly refusing to let go of Zayn once the heat had hit in full force. Niall still wasn’t sure how they had managed to get them into Zayn’s room without too much damage. He had to admit that Harry had helped in that, but it had left them exhausted and spoiled dinner somewhat. Especially when the noises started.

“Would you like some tea?”

Niall had blurted out once they had heard a high, piercing scream that signalled the mating had started. It was right then and there that Niall wished he hadn’t been so insistent in reading all those books and manuals. He knew exactly what that sound signified.

He didn’t dare look at Harry. Who also wouldn’t dare look at him either and instead nodded while keeping his eyes on the hardwood floor.

Once the tea had been made, they had turned on the television and watched some nature documentary about seals that had Harry spellbound, if his tail swishing and swaying was anything to go by. The tea was drunk neither of them really keen to talk as they watched the show. After it was done, it was a different matter.

Harry had climbed onto the couch that Niall had sat on earlier and had laid his head on Niall’s thigh. The weight of it made Niall’s thighs burn with what he couldn’t quite pinpoint. A mixture of desire and embarrassment, possibly. He wasn’t sure, but he pushed it away as Harry made himself comfortable.

“Where were you born? You don’t sound like Zayn or Liam.”

Niall choked at the question. “Across the sea. In Mullingar, Ireland. I came here when I was fifteen and met Zayn when we were in secondary together.”

Harry nodded, letting out a sound that was a cross between a purr and a chirrup that Niall found utterly adorable.

“What does he do? Is he a painter?” He raised his head and looked at Niall with his piercing green eyes. “What do you do?”

“Zayn works in a library. He only paints in his spare time. I’m a nurse and I play music.”

Niall explained, getting that noise in lieu of an answer from Harry yet again.

“And you?”

Harry shrugged. “Dunno. I don’t remember my dam. Or my litter mates. Only Liam. Always Liam. We used to live in Wales in some place like a farm, but not quite. We got brought up to Cowell’s years ago. Liam was scared that we’d go to the Mills if no one bought us.”

Niall’s throat tightened and he had to swallow hard to keep his emotions in check. He logically knew about the mills and what would theoretically happen there. He just hadn’t connected it to Liam. Or his hybrid, who was staring at him, trying to gauge the reaction that his words would bring forth from Niall.

“So what do you do? Do you like to draw? Or read? Or what?”

Harry smiled, showing fairly sharp and wicked looking canines.

“I always liked music and nature. We didn’t get much of it when we were at Cowells. I missed Wales. Do you think we could go there sometime?”

Niall’s heart melted at the sight of Harry blinking cutely at him, his tail moving in slow, lay swishes as he asked. Even though he knew that he was getting manipulated, he couldn’t resist how adorably cute Harry was at that moment.

“Of course! We’ll even go to Scotland if you want.”

Niall promised him, making Harry give out a small chirrup of happiness before he laid his head down on Niall’s thigh again and sighed happily before starting to purr quietly. Niall smiled as he rolled his near empty mug in his hands before putting it down on the end table and zoned out. They sat like that for awhile, exactly how long, he couldn’t say. It wasn’t until his phone beeped with some push notification that Niall realised that it was sort of quieter and that it was late and they should go to bed.

He didn’t want to stay there and listen to his friend and his hybrid go at it, but he also didn’t want to disturb Harry. Especially not when they finally had a chance to bond and get to know each other, something that they hadn’t been able to do earlier. He did want to get to sleep though, since he had work tomorrow and couldn’t miss his shift.

He moved slightly, yowling when he felt sharp claws dig into his thigh. Not hard enough to break the skin, but hard enough to make him stop moving. He looked down and was met by a pair of dark green eyes glaring at him grumpily. Harry’s ears were flattened and he kneaded Niall’s thigh with his claws.

“I’m sleeping.” Harry informed him petulantly.

“Really? How can you?”

Harry shrugged and kept on kneading, but he pulled his claws in, so that it actually felt good rather than painful.

“Li’s gone through dry heats before. So has Ed. The noise they made was even worse and Jade and I learned to sleep through it. I felt bad about it though, even though Li and Ed said it was okay.”

The last was said in guilt ridden whisper that made Niall’s own instincts rise up to ease the distress of his Omega. He knew how painful it was to just stand back and not be able to help someone he cared about. Even though he knew that there wouldn’t be much that he could possibly do to actually help.

Niall knew from the books and his own studies that dry heats could be particularly painful. Even if a hybrid got mated during them, it didn’t bring the same relief as a proper heat and mating. Harry would have understood that and from what Niall knew of Liam, he probably would have tried to play off the aches and discomfort the days after.

“You shouldn’t have felt bad about that. It wasn’t your fault.”

Niall murmured as he reached out to stroke Harry’s hair, mindful of the ears, since he was quite aware of how sensitive they could be. Harry rumbled and started purring at the touch, closing his eyes in enjoyment.

“Li’s my littermate, though.”

Harry muttered drowsily, leaning more into Niall’s touch.

“Unless you’re an Alpha, it wouldn’t have helped.”

Harry yawned, nodding. “Still.”

Niall made a noise and kept petting his hair, stopping only when he realised that it was finally silent. He nudged Harry, who looked slightly annoyed at being woken up when he was just at the edge of sleep.

“Sorry, but it would be better if we actually went to sleep in our bed rather than stay here.”

Niall explained as he stood up and held out his hand for Harry to take, helping to ease the annoyance of the Omega hybrid.

“Sounds good. In fact, it sounds really good.”

Harry mumbled as Niall led him to his room, all the while hoping that they would at least get some hours of sleep before Liam and Zayn had to mate again.

~*~*~*~*~

Zayn sat on the windowsill and quickly smoked a cigarette while Liam slept the sleep of a well fucked and bonded Omega. Zayn snorted and looked at the claiming bite, which stood out, stark and red on the juncture between his neck and shoulder. He winced as he looked at it, since he hadn’t ever seen such a messy and brutal looking bite. He fancied he could see muscle underneath and even now, he found himself shuddering as he recalled the sweet and coppery taste of blood and bonding fluid as it had filled his mouth.

He took a quick drag of the cigarette and forced himself to calm down. He would need his strength when Liam had another heat cycle to get through. Besides, he was always a fan of delayed gratification and knew that it would be mind blowing yet again when he fucked Liam through the next heat wave. He finished the cigarette and downed half of a bottle of water that he had kept in his room in case he woke up thirsty in the night and swore under his breath.

Standing up and grabbing his buttonless jeans, he made his quiet way to the kitchen. He saw that it was clean and all of the leftovers put away and made a note on the whiteboard tacked on the fridge to Niall. Humming to himself, he grabbed a couple of big bottles of water and set them on the counter. He opened the cupboards and pulled out a near full box of protein bars.

Grabbing his supplies, he made his way to his room again and put the food and water close to Liam for easy reach. Even though he was sure that in the end, he was the one that would have to coax Liam to eat and drink, since he would be too far gone to know that he needed to do so. The book had said that most Omegas did lose some weight during intense heats and would gain it fast when properly taken care of after, but Zayn didn’t trust himself to do that.

Nor was he going to dump the responsibility on Niall either.

Especially not when he was the one that had claimed Liam. That bite wasn’t for show, he was damned aware of. He had realised that when the blood and gland fluid had filled his mouth and slid down his throat. He should have been disgusted by that. He hadn’t bonded or claimed anyone once he understood what it took and the idea of having someone’s blood and fluids _infect_ him and tie him to that Omega for life had creeped him out. There had been a reason why he had just gone with Betas.

Yet he couldn’t muster up the anger and revulsion that he had once felt when he looked at Liam. He wanted to. He wouldn’t lie. He really did and for a split second, he had nearly shoved himself off of Liam’s pliant and willing body once he had realised exactly what he had done. But his brain had shut down then and he had continued with the mating, entering Liam and fucking him without finesse or tenderness, leaving ugly bite marks and finger-shaped bruises all over his pristine and pure body.

Liam had responded and he now could see that he had deep scratches and gouges all over his arms and back. They would most definitely take more than some dettol and plasters, he mused to himself ruefully. He didn’t blame Liam. It was all instinctual what he had done and he had listened when Zayn had asked him to pull his claws back in.

Besides, Zayn had enjoyed the edge of pain that came with the near blinding pleasure he had experienced as he had mated his Omega. Nor could he forget the way that Liam had risen up and taken as much as Zayn could give. He hadn’t been a passive partner and had flipped them over so that he rode Zayn, holding his wrists down as he bounced up and down on Zayn’s cock, his orgasm erupting from his throat in a loud, strangled yowl that covered up Zayn’s own shout as he soon came after.

Zayn smirked at the memory and rubbed at his stomach, making a face at the dried cum there, his mood completely changed at the discovery. Slightly repulsed at finding himself splattered with cum, he kicked off his jeans and went out to the shared loo in the hall to quickly get cleaned up. He rushed through a shower and made sure to bring a couple of wet towels with him to do the same to Liam.

He sponged Liam off thoroughly while thanking his lucky stars that Liam was still comatose, something he was actually quite proud of if he was honest. He had wrung out at least four orgasms from Liam in the last wave, guaranteeing that he’d be out for at least a few hours. Hours he had used productively until the next wave would hit. A wave that would be coming soon, Zayn guessed by the way that Liam was starting to warm up.

He threw the dirty towels in the corner and laid down on the dirty sheets. There was no real point in changing them. Not when they would be going at it yet again multiple times until Liam’s heat would break in a couple of days. A mature heat didn’t last as long as dry heats. Especially not with an Alpha in his prime there to help it along.

He was still ruminating on this when Liam curled up against him, his arm wrapping around Zayn’s waist as he pulled him closer. His skin was burning and he was making soft noises of discomfort. He bucked against Zayn, his cock hard against Zayn’s hip.

Zayn coaxed him on his back and kissed him, sloppily and without finesse. It was what Liam wanted, since it made his slick wet legs spread open for Zayn.

The sight of Liam presenting himself so wantonly made Zayn growl before got on top of him and slipped inside.

~*~*~*~*~

Louis was pretty annoyed as he climbed the stairs to Niall and Zayn’s flat. His texts had gone unanswered for most of Friday and Saturday and he was getting fed up of being ignored by his so called friends. He also (although he wouldn’t admit it on pain of death) was worried about them. Zayn was a bit of a flake and sometimes lazy. He knew how his oldest friend operated.

For Niall to only have radio silence though...That was worrying and bore some investigating. He also was keen to hang out with them, since he did miss them. He was also bursting with news that he desperately wanted to share with them and wanted to do it in person. But he also wanted to grill them for basically falling off the earth without any explanation.

He rapped on the door and waited for a long time, shuffling from foot to foot until he raised his hand to do it again. Before he could, the door flew open to reveal a sleepy Niall and a tall, brown haired...Hybrid, who was sort of slouching behind him and swishing his tail back and forth in agitation at the newcomer.

“Ni...What the fuck?”

Niall shrugged before standing aside to let Louis into the flat, the hybrid still sticking close to him and eyeing Louis suspiciously.

“Is that why you and Zayn went AWOL?”

Niall nodded as he roughly rubbed his eyes and finally got himself more awake than asleep.

“Yeah, more or less. This is Harry, by the way. Harry, this is Louis. He’s friends with Zayn and I.”

Niall stated, making Harry stop looking at Louis in distrust. “Are you staying for lunch?”

Louis blinked at the question, since he hadn’t expected for Harry to be so well spoken or to have a nice voice. He hadn’t ever really interacted with a hybrid, so he wasn’t sure what he was expecting from the experience.

“I guess I am?”

Niall nodded. “It’s just us for now. Zayn-”

“What about Zayn?”

Louis, Niall, and Harry all turned around to see Zayn and Liam coming towards the front door, looking exhausted, but clean and presentable.

Louis scanned them quickly and his eyes nearly bugged out when he saw the still fresh bite on Liam’s neck.

“What the fuck, Zayn? What the fuck did you do?”

Niall sighed heavily.

“I think we’d better get some food and tea and go from there. It’s going to be a long explanation.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The claiming bite-In this verse, claiming and bonding an Omega is a serious thing. Zayn is rightly bothered by the implications and is struggling with his decision. He's a bit of an immature idiot and he has to come to grips with how much having Liam in his life will change everything for him. It's not a fast change and he is trying, but he's only human and will make mistakes.  
> Niall and Harry-They're getting to know each other and they are kind of awkward and dorky due to the age gap, which will be explained later on.  
> Louis-We finally get to see the elusive Louis. Still not sure who I want to pair him up with. I kind of am leaning towards a football player or Ed. Talk about broad choices.


	4. I Don't Want You To Go, I Need To Be Close To You Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brunch happens and Louis gets caught up with all the drama he's missed. Liam and Zayn are still figuring each other out. Meanwhile, Zayn and Louis finally get the time and peace to settle their differences during which Louis drops his own news to Zayn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a continuation chapter that kind of decided to do its own thing in regards to setting up interactions and conversations. Edited and proofed, but if mistakes appear, they will be fixed later.  
> Chapter title is from Empire of the Sun's "High & Low"

Liam sat quietly beside Zayn, close enough to Zayn that he swore he could feel the thudding of Liam’s heartbeat against his arm. He was tempted to let him sit in his lap, but the strange look that Louis was giving him made him change his mind. Instead, he let Liam burrow as closely as he could and he tried to touch him as much as possible while trying to not feel guilty under Louis’ gaze. 

The look was one of both shock and disapproval and although he didn’t usually care about not hurting Louis’ feelings (well, not much), their last fight was all too fresh in his mind. And if he was totally honest, the last thing he wanted was a repeat when he hadn’t apologised to Louis. He may have been a self absorbed arsehole, but he valued the few friends that he did have. Plus. there was also the open wound of their altercation that needed to be healed over.

It had been a pretty nasty fight and he knew that he needed to do more than the usual couple of pints at the pub, a bro hug, and mario kart. He swallowed hard and looked at Louis, who had turned his face towards Niall. Niall with his bottomless pit of a stomach, who was standing at the stove making eggs for the impromptu brunch that had been rapidly decided on once Louis had gotten through the door. Harry was acting like his helper, fetching spices and plates when necessary. Zayn would have rather let it go and pretend like nothing had happened, just like they always did, but found himself uneasy even thinking of doing it. 

He didn’t bother asking himself when he had gained a conscience. It was too damned early in the afternoon to ask himself such heavy questions. All he knew was that he had to properly make things right with Louis and smooth the appearance of Liam and Harry into their circle without having another fight. That was his main imperative at the moment, since he didn’t see either Liam or Harry going anywhere else for the rest of their lives. 

Liam shifted beside him then, pulling him out of his musings. Right. He snapped his gaze away from Louis and focused it on Liam, who was chewing on his bottom lip nervously as he too focused on Louis. His eyes were dark as he studied Louis without the other Omega’s knowledge and his scent got slightly sharper, making Zayn groan inwardly.

_ “So much for being better.” _ Zayn cursed himself as he carefully wrapped his arm around Liam and brought him close, subtly allowing him to curl up and get Zayn’s own scent all over himself. It worked like the books had said and in mere moments, Liam was calm and relaxed. Enough so that he was subtly purring as he snuggled even closer to his Alpha. 

“Better?” He murmured, his voice barely audible to himself. He knew that Liam had caught it though, since his ear twitched and his tail was relaxed, rather than being stiffly curled tightly around him. The purring continued and Zayn took the chance to rub Liam’s back, knowing the contact would further put him at ease and forge the beginning of the trust that they desperately needed to have if they were going to survive being bonded. 

“He’s a bit clingy, yeah?”

Louis asked, making Zayn’s head shoot up to meet his eyes. 

“Mating literally just ended and it was his first mature heat. The uhm, books said that it was common for them to get that way. He’ll be fine in a week or two.”

Zayn explained, trying to tamp down the irritation that had arisen due to the comment. Especially since he was actively trying to keep the peace between them, rather than antagonise Louis. Hell, he had to admit that he wasn’t exactly a hundred percent either. Although being slightly forgetful about aftercare, he knew that he couldn’t have torn himself away from Liam without feeling that imperative to go back to his side as fast as he possibly could. 

Louis nodded as he looked at Liam again, who was now quiet relaxed and purring like a motorboat at the attention and security he felt at being surrounded by his Alpha and his Alpha’s scent. He only slitted his eyes to give Louis a brief glance before he closed them again and kept on purring.

“Well, that explains it. Doesn’t explain how you ended up bonding to Liam. Doesn’t exactly explain how you ended up with Liam, never mind.”

Louis pointed out, making Zayn pause in his actions and Liam to raise his head and look at his Alpha questioningly. He had caught the edge of Louis’ question and Liam would have rather died than admit it, but he was curious about Zayn’s reasons for choosing him. They hadn’t spoken much and Liam was torn between wanting a reason and living in ignorance. He had gotten out of the breeders, had a pretty Alpha, and had been mated. That was enough for now. Yet...

“That would actually be where I step in.” Niall announced as he and Harry began carrying the plates of food that looked to be enough to feed a small army, rather than the five that were currently in the flat. 

“How so?”

Louis asked, bristling slightly, since Niall tended to come in and be a buffer between him and Zayn whenever disagreements between them would get out of hand. 

“I convinced Zayn to adopt a hybrid and went with him to pick him up. Harry is Liam’s litter mate and I couldn’t resist. Neither could Liam’s biology, it seems.”

Liam blushed beet red at that. “I didn’t think it would come so soon. I thought I had a week or two.”

Zayn brushed a kiss against his temple. “No one’s blaming you, Li. It’s perfectly normal, since you hadn’t been near an Alpha in years. Makes sense that two would trigger you.”

Niall nodded as he directed Harry to grab the teapot full of strong Yorkshire tea and start pouring out large mugs for everyone. 

“Zayn’s right, Li. Don’t feel bad. It’s all under control. Zayn’s going to take care of you now that it’s done.”

Niall soothed, making Harry add in his own chirp of agreement before he sat down with his own tea. 

“It’s been literally a day since it ended and I’ve been working a few crazy shifts, that’s why we’ve been kind of quiet lately.” 

Louis’ eyes widened as it all clicked into place, his earlier sharpness quickly fallen away at Niall’s words. “Christ, you two have definitely been busy.”

Zayn grinned briefly as he spooned some eggs onto a plate and passed them over to Liam, who started to eat them without any prompting. Niall did the same for Louis and Harry before he served himself, despite being utterly famished. He had manners, as he jokingly liked to remind his friends, and served himself last. 

“Yeah. That was the reason why I didn’t text you or ask for you to come over. We’ve been setting things up and getting stuff sorted here and there.”

Zayn explained as he got some toast and turkey bacon for Liam, who was only focused on getting protein into his body after the gruelling mating he had just gone through. Despite having had Zayn taking care of him by keeping him hydrated and forcing him to eat protein bars, his body was still starved and in desperate need of food. He ate and only listened to the conversations that were going on around him, Zayn’s proximity keeping him grounded and focused enough to do so. 

“I see.” Louis replied as he reached for the milk and frowned when he saw that it was all gone.

“Ah shit. Zayn, Louis, do you guys mind getting some more from the shops?” Niall asked, making Liam’s ear perk up a bit. 

“Didn’t I get it last time?” Zayn asked, despite already getting up to grab his wallet and keys,

“That was two weeks ago. Just go down to the corner one. Won’t take you too long.”

Niall pointed out, making Zayn grumble good naturedly before turning to look at Liam, who had put his fork down and was now twitching both ears as he waited to see what was going to happen. 

“I’m going to get more milk, okay? I’ll be maybe ten or fifteen minutes. I promise. Niall and Harry will be here, okay?”

Liam wanted to protest and wanted to get up and accompany his Alpha to the shops instead of Louis. He really was close to standing up, but he saw how serious his Alpha looked and how subdued the loud Louis had become that he simply nodded. He wasn’t quite sure what had gone on between them, but there was a tension there that they needed to resolve without prying eyes.

Zayn smiled and squeezed his shoulder before he and Louis walked to the front door and then out, leaving them in silence. A silence that didn’t last that long, since Niall snorted a laugh that made Harry and Liam look at him curiously. Noticing their expressions, he got up and went to the fridge and pulled out a half full bottle of milk and brought it to the table. 

“God love Zayn, but he’s really not the most observant person in the morning. A good thing too, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to get those two out of here so that they could talk.”

Liam and Harry looked at each other then and burst out laughing at Niall’s trick, leaving him to smirk before he went back to his breakfast. 

~*~*~*~*~

Zayn and Louis were silent until Zayn stopped halfway through their walk and looked at Louis.

“I didn’t put him up to this, in case you were wondering.” He told Louis, who narrowed his eyes skeptically at the announcement. 

“You really do need milk then?”

“Yeah, but not as much as you need an apology from me. I was way out of line last week. No one deserved to be told that. Especially not someone you’ve been friends with since fourth year.”

“Third year, you sod.” Louis corrected automatically, making them both grin.

“Yeah. Third year. Anyways, I’m truly sorry, Lou. It won’t happen ever again.”

Louis wanted to snap at him at the likelihood of that happening, but there was a gravity to Zayn’s gaze that had most definitely not been there before. It was a small glimmer, but it was still there and it was enough to make him keep quiet. It was a start, but it was definitely a positive one and he had to admit that having Liam the hybrid bonding with him was the cause of it. 

“Okay. And Um. Thanks.”

They stood there awkwardly for a few moments before Zayn started moving.

“We still need that milk.”

Louis snorted, making Zayn crack up as well. “Never thought I’d ever be so domesticated.”

Louis cackled. “That’s what happens when you mate. At least that’s what Gareth told me.”

The last was said casually, but it still had the impact of a bomb on Zayn, who stumbled and nearly fell on the uneven sidewalk at that comment.

“Gareth? As in  _ Gareth Gareth? _ ” Zayn exclaimed as he managed to right himself at the last minute and stood up straight as he digested the news. Gareth had been the reason why they had the massive fight in the first place. Or rather, his vacillating between wanting Louis and moving him up to Sunderland, or breaking it off if he didn’t get signed to the main squad.

He swallowed and looked at Louis, who wasn’t looking at Zayn, but rather past him towards the shops. His face was light pink, telling Zayn what he suspected. He did still ask though, just to make sure and not have any misunderstandings. The last thing he wanted was two Omegas upset at him.

“He got signed, then?”

Louis nodded. 

“He wants you to go up there with him, then?”

Louis nodded again, but this time, he thrust his wrist out to show his friend the silver bonding bracelet that had a single black charm of a cat dangling from it. 

“Well. I guess you’re going up to Sunderland, then.” 

Louis shoved his hand in this pocket and pulled the sleeve down before starting towards the shop. 

“Not before we bond. That’s part of the reason why I wanted to see you both last week. Gareth and I, we’re bonding in two days and I’d like it if you’d come.”

Zayn didn’t even have to think about it twice and only put out his hand to draw Louis into a hug, one which made him yelp in surprise. 

“You know we will, Lou.”

“That’s awesome to hear, but I can’t breathe right now and we still need milk.”

Zayn laughed, but let him go, since he knew that Louis only said that as to not have his scent all over him.

“Yeah, Yeah, We’ll just get them something and it’ll be forgiven, you’ll see.”

Louis snickered and ran to catch up to Zayn, bumping into him jokingly like they always did, all the anxiety of the morning completely gone. Zayn bopped him on the head before they went into the shop, both relieved that things were back to normal between them again. 

Or as normal as they would be, with Liam and Gareth in the picture, Zayn told himself as he paid for the milk and the extra treats Louis had insisted on buying before they headed back to his flat. 

He shoved that thought out of his head the moment that the door opened and Liam greeted him, brown eyes lit up in happiness at seeing him back again. 

Things weren’t normal, but he had to admit that they were much better.

Even if he was losing one of his best friends to  _ Sunderland. _

He made a mental note to buy a rail pass next payday for himself and Liam. He had a feeling that they would be travelling a bit more than he usually did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gareth-I can only blame the Euros for him appearing randomly in my fics lately. I also blame the insanely catchy "C'mon Wales (Together Stronger) by the Manic Street Preachers. In this verse, he's the same age, but has stayed in Sunderland. We might or might not get the whole story of how he and Louis met. Gareth is an Alpha.  
> Mating bracelets-Beta/Beta pairings get wedding rings and Alpha/Omega get bracelets to show they are paired up. It's an idea that I had in my football AU's and employed here.  
> Zayn and Louis-They really do care about each other, but they are a bit dense and emotionally constipated to actually admit things. Zayn is not the nicest person, Neither is Louis, but they are trying to meet each other half way. They both know that they gotta man up in this.  
> Liam-He's still sort of stupid from all the hormones and exhaustion and once he calms down, he and Zayn will interact more.  
> Sunderland-I have NOTHING against Sunderland. Zayn's just being a bit of a drama queen about losing his friend.


	5. Bring Me The Moon And The Stars And Send Away The Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zayn and Liam have a few eye opening moments about each other before they manage to settle into some kind of domestic peace.

The alarm buzzed in the early morning stillness, making Zayn roll over, slap it off and groan before disentangling himself from Liam and standing up.

He yawned as he stretched out, finger tips reaching up to the high ceiling before he turned to look at Liam, who was only now opening his eyes. He yawned and his ears twitched, making Zayn smile at the sight of the sleepy hybrid.

Liam was too adorable for words when he just woke up and was all soft and rumpled with sleep and wasn’t sure what was going on. It always made Zayn’s heart melt just a little when he watched Liam go from half asleep to wide awake in a matter of minutes. Not to mention the soft purring that accompanied it. It usually made Zayn pull him back into the nest of their blankets and curl up next to him petting him until Liam went right back to sleep again.

Too bad that he had to go to work again. His leave was gone and he needed to get back to the library again. Although he trusted that Matt, Iwan, Jade, and Jesy had it all covered, he still felt apprehensive about going back to work after such a change in his circumstances. Not to mention that it had been a long stretch of time that was spent in the most pleasurable and hedonistic way possible. In fact, he felt a bit guilty at how focused on Liam he had been. Liam had gotten under skin without him even noticing and he found that to his surprise, he was quite okay with it. All he could see when he looked was Liam and the knowledge made his breath catch still. Even when he had realised it at Louis and Gareth’s bonding ceremony, it still made him gasp and need to stop and collect himself.

“You gotta admit that this was unexpected.”

Louis had said to him when Zayn and Liam appeared during the small party after the ceremony. Zayn only shrugged as he slid a sidelong glance at Liam, who was standing with Gareth, Harry and Niall. The sight of him being somewhat social and comfortable with Gareth and the others made Zayn smile.

That hadn’t been the case when they had arrived and Zayn had been worried that he was going to have to cut out of the celebrations, but Gareth had worked his magic somehow and there they were.

“Well, I wasn’t going to leave him home alone and he did like you when he met you. So it made sense to bring him.”

Louis tilted his head side from side as he weighed the truth of Zayn’s words. He suspected that Zayn had fallen hard for the sweet hybrid already and was making excuses for his emotions. He also knew that if he did push through the flimsy excuse, Zayn would bluster and deny it. So he simply shrugged and let it drop. Zayn could be stubborn as fuck and the last thing that he wanted was to have an argument at the party.

“Well, you have to admit that I am pretty likeable.”

Zayn snorted at that and Louis smirked at him, making him finally laugh enough to catch the attention of their partners and friends. The moment was done, but Louis kept a close eye on Zayn and Liam and smirked to himself when he saw how Zayn drew closer to the hybrid and hovered when Liam was chatting with Niall.

Zayn had known that Louis and Gareth were watching him, but he pretended that he didn’t notice. Liam was just sweet and a bit naive and needed Zayn to watch over him like a good owner should. There was nothing else other than the feelings of an owner for a pet they felt quite fondly of. That was all.

That was what he kept telling himself when he moved next to Liam and put his hand on his hip, making Gareth give him a close lipped smile that was at odds with his usual broad one. Zayn only nodded at Gareth as he casually pulled Liam closer, making the hybrid immediately melt against him and Gareth look at Louis, who shook his head and pull up closer to him and whisper something in his ear. Zayn had seen it all, but chose to ignore it. Liam at his side contentedly purring was all that he cared about at that moment. Everything else was secondary.

The feeling intensified as they spent the rest of the night together, barely straying from each other’s side. He was drawn to Liam like he hadn’t been drawn to anyone before. Yes, there was the same excitement and overwhelming feeling of euphoria that he had felt with his girlfriends before. The same welling up of emotion deep in his chest when he would look up and meet Liam’s soft brown eyes and watched his mouth curl up into a shy smile when their eyes met. It was all there, but it didn’t dim or fade as the time passed. Or when he was talking to Gareth, Louis, or Niall, or Eleanor or whoever.

It lasted. It almost scared him with how it kept on pulsing within him, warm and steady as he sat next to Liam and held him as they danced to some slow song that always made Louis and Gareth get all sappy about. A song that had made him only roll his eyes whenever Louis had played it and now, with Liam looking at him as if he had hung the moon and the stars made him feel like his heart was overflowing with love for this shy and delicate hybrid in his arms.

Even though Liam was taller than him and was starting to fill out, that fragility stayed with him and made Zayn’s instincts to protect him rise up strongly.

“Are you enjoying yourself?”

Zayn whispered as they danced, or rather swayed slowly to the song that was playing.

“Yes. I heard about bonding ceremonies, but I didn’t think I’d ever get to see one.”

Liam explained in a quiet voice, his eyes shining when the light hit them just right. He swallowed and cast down his eyes before looking up at Zayn through the dark fan of his eyelashes.

“Thank you for taking me with you.”

Zayn gave him a brittle smile. “You’re welcome, although you don’t have to thank me. I’m always happy to spend time with you.”

Even in that darkness, Zayn could see the bright flush that crept across Liam’s nose and cheekbones.

“Why though? I’m not really that interesting and-”

Zayn stopped that barrage of low self esteem by pressing his finger down on Liam’s lips and startling him, making him lower his ears and his tail to swish rapidly back and forth.

He was aware that Liam’s lack of education and graces was a source of embarrassment to the hybrid. Harry didn’t seem to mind that he wasn’t as up to date as a normal human, but he also had charm to usually carry him through those situations. Liam being painfully shy and a bit awkward didn’t have that recourse and felt a bit overshadowed by his littermate. Zayn had noticed this when Liam was trying to blend in with the walls and would have succeeded if it hadn’t been for Gareth taking pity on him and drawing him out.

As many differences as he and Gareth had had in the past, Zayn had to be grateful to the tall Welshman for doing that. But then, Gareth had always been that sort of an Alpha and Zayn made a mental note to thank him later on and to ease off the teasing. Gareth was a good guy and he had again proved it when when he took his Liam in hand and made him welcome.

Seeing how Gareth had treated him had given Zayn a foundation to work on when Liam started to put himself down. Even if Liam didn’t see what a treasure he was, Zayn did. Even in that cage, wrapped up in that old blanket, Zayn had seen it.

And it was high time that he told Liam that.

“Because you’re Liam. You’re sweet, kind, gentle, and enthusiastic and you’re just.. _.Liam._  That’s why.”

Liam’s eyes widened and he chirruped at Zayn’s words.

“Really, Li. You’re more than I ever expected to have. And even if you don’t believe me right now, I promise that you will.”

Liam had blushed a dark red that was visible even in the darkness as he tried to duck his head and hide from the compliment that Zayn had paid him.

He was embarrassed and flattered and proud that Zayn was telling him this. Even though Harry had told him that before, when they were the only ones left on the farm in Wales, and when they were passed over at Cowell’s, he still didn’t really believe it. Sure, he sometimes thought that was the case, after all, Harry and Ed and Perrie all loved to sit with him and talk to him. Harry would often curl up against him and they would groom each other, basking in each other’s company and he knew that Harry hadn’t done that with their other littermates. He knew that there was more to him than just being a sickly Omega hybrid in a cage.

He knew he was worth something...But he hadn’t gotten the chance to show that when people would pass him over in search of cuter and healthier hybrids.

Until Zayn, that was.

And even though he knew that it didn’t quite work that way. Even though he knew that he was good enough being Liam even without Zayn...It was still nice to know that the Alpha he was bonded to felt that way.

He didn’t know if he was already _in love_ with Zayn yet. But he knew that warm feeling coiled up in his chest whenever they touched or whenever they caught each other’s eyes was a sure sign that the beginning of it was there. What he felt towards Zayn was still complicated and unable to be a straightforward situation like it was with Harry. He knew where he stood with his littermate. He wasn’t sure of where he stood with Zayn as of yet.

“I...I know.”

Zayn only reply was to bring him close and kiss the corner of his mouth before running his hands through his hair and then finally giving his ears a scratch that made Liam give out a soft mew that made Zayn’s pulse beat harder for a few moments.

“Come on.”

Zayn had pulled him away then and the rest of the weekend was a blur until the alarm had woken them both up and back to reality.

He did a few more stretches before walking to the bathroom and made a mental note to hurry it up a bit. Even though he had set the alarm to give them plenty of time in case Liam was fussy or simply decided that he wasn’t going to accompany him to work today. He had gone through all of the proper procedures for bringing him to work and Liam looked excited to go with him, but things could change.

“Li, love. It’s time to get ready. We gotta leave soon.”

A quiet meow was his reply and Zayn took it as an affirmative before he went to the bathroom to get cleaned up and ready for the day. He came back in five minutes to see Liam was already dressed in the simple long-sleeved shirt, hoodie, and jean combo that he had taken a liking to. He seemed to love soft fabrics and loose clothing, which was a marked contrast to Harry’s flamboyant choices that occasionally made Niall raise an eyebrow and shake his head.

“You can use the loo now. I’ll get dressed and get us some food, yeah?”

Liam nodded, still slightly sleepy as he shuffled to the bathroom, leaving Zayn to ponder whether there was something _different_ about Liam. He didn’t dwell on it much though, just shook his head and got dressed. It probably was nothing, but his subconscious was giving him insistent hints lately that he couldn’t help but to ponder.

“Not now.”

He muttered as he stripped the training bottoms he wore to bed and pulled out his work gear, rapidly dressing in the tame button down and dark washed jeans before grabbing a light cardigan to counteract the chill in his workplace. It wasn’t quite what he liked to wear on his off time, but he figured that with less tattoos and less flamboyance visible, the less hassle he would get from anyone. And thus make his job easier, rather than an annoyance.

Once he was done, he went to the kitchen and got together some toast, turkey bacon, and scrambled eggs. They were ready by the time that Liam showed up, now fully awake and looking at the lanyards that Zayn had dumped onto the table with wide eyes. He sat there looking at them with his fork held loosely in his hand when Zayn put down two mugs of tea and then noticed what Liam was looking at.

“I’ll explain what those are in a bit. Now eat up. My boss would kill me if I show up late.”

Liam nodded and started to eat, closing his eyes at how good the eggs and the bacon tasted. Cowell really didn’t give them that kind of food. Just kibble, which was okay, but not as good as having real people food all for himself. The tea too, was good. Sweet and strong with just a touch of milk. It helped warm him up and also give him a jolt of much needed caffeine if he was going to survive the day. Or at least a few hours of it. He was part cat after all. There would obviously be time for a nap in the near future.

Once he was finished and the dishes put in the sink, Zayn picked up the lanyards on the table and handed one to him.

“And this is for you. Put it around your neck before we go.” Zayn said as he put his own on. As he was doing this, Liam took the opportunity to examine the lanyard that was now around his neck.

It was a simple card enclosed in a plastic sleeve, with a logo that Liam didn’t recognise as he skimmed it before he looked at what was written below it.

“Malik? That’s your last name?” Liam asked as he looked at his name now paired up with Zayn’s.

“Yep. It’s now yours, since...Since you live with me now.”

Zayn explained as he screwed the top onto his travel mug full of strong tea before grabbing his messenger bag and giving Liam a once over. He looked fairly presentable, even though he was slightly casual. It didn’t matter though, since he wouldn’t really be interacting with the public. If he had gotten Liam’s habits correct, Liam would probably spend most of the time napping anyways and his boss had stated that as long as he wasn’t in high traffic areas, that was fine. That had been the only stipulation when Zayn had applied for a permit to bring Liam to his workplace at Allerton Library.

He could have let Liam stay at home now that everything had been sorted. In fact, he had been readying himself to do so the moment that Louis had told him about his upcoming bonding with Gareth. His mind had already been ticking off checklists for what he would need to occupy Liam while he was at the ceremony and then at work.

Those plans were scrapped when he was getting ready and he happened to catch Liam’s eye in the mirror and all of his plans changed in that moment.

Starting with the bonding ceremony.  He couldn’t leave him here. Even Harry had gone to work with Niall, playing with the children in the pediatric ward and already making himself hugely popular with the children and the nurses there. After Harry had come home bursting with excitement and regaling Zayn and Liam with stories, that had been the last nudge that Zayn had needed to apply for the permit.

And now that he had received it, he hoped that it would be as successful with Liam as it was with Harry.

“Okay, we need to get going now. Do you need the loo?”

Liam let go of the lanyard and bounced off, coming back in record time and making Zayn grin.

“Alright. Let’s go then.”

~*~*~*~*~

Zayn hummed to himself while he worked on requisitions and caught up on emails. It had been a quiet morning, with Jade, Iwan, and Matt taking care of the desk while Jesy did the children’s hour. It had given him enough time to nearly catch up on all of his work and he guessed that he would be able to finish a proposal that had been hanging over his head in the afternoon. Unless he had to take Liam home early.

At the thought of his hybrid, he finished off the last email he had been meaning to send and looked up to see if he could spot Liam. The main area was clear with just a few patrons quietly reading or browsing. He could see Matt was picking up books left behind on tables to properly reshelve and both Iwan and Jade were checking out books and chattering with the patrons. He stood up and went over to the reading section, sure that Liam was probably curled up in a couch out of the way. Either reading or sleeping in it, but he was sure that was where he’d find his hybrid.

Liam had shown interest in the stacks of reference materials and once he had been introduced to Matt, Iwan, and the girls and had been given a crash course in using the catalogues, he had gone on his way, looking up stuff and disappearing amongst the stacks. Zayn had been assured by Matt and Iwan that Liam was fine. So he had only focused on his work and hadn’t much thought about Liam until that moment.

To his surprise, Liam wasn’t in the reading area. Nor was he hidden in the out of the way corners. Worried, Zayn went back to the desk and saw Matt dragging out the book trolley towards the table he had stacked the books on. Matt looked up at him and paused in what he was doing.

“Matt, sorry to bother you, but have you seen Liam?”

Matt blinked at the question and shook his head after a few seconds. He then turned to see if Jade and or Iwan had finished with the customers and could give some input. But they were still dealing with patrons and they all knew better than to bother them.

“Maybe Jesy knows? She’s still in the Children’s section.”

Matth finally supplied, making Zayn groan and want to slap himself for overlooking the children’s area. Liam had been skittish in the morning though, so Zayn had assumed that he wasn’t going to be going anywhere near crowds of boisterous children. Nodding a thanks to Matt, he turned left towards the brightly decorated area with its colourful seats and over sized books. He hoped that Liam hadn’t been overwhelmed by being around the children and made a mental note to take him to the coffee room to take a break or possibly even lunch.

He walked further into the area and again, all his plans were rewritten. Liam was sitting next to Jesy on the colourblock carpet that covered the reading corner. He wasn’t shyly trying to blend in or hide like he had done during the ceremony. In fact, he was helping Jesy with story time. He was holding the book while Jesy read out loud  and by the looks of the children sitting around them in a semi circle, it was working.

Zayn watched the scene for a few minutes before quietly leaving and going back to his desk.

Lunch could wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writer's Block really hit me hard for this, along with some RL things I had to address, hence the change of pace for this chapter. I realised that I hadn't really had just Zayn and Liam talking and interacting and this was a needed chapter. Although I love writing different characters interacting and other bonds that are made, Zayn and Liam need to talk and get to know each other before things happen. 
> 
> I love libraries and am probably going to go back to school soon to get a Masters in Library Sciences, hence the reason why Zayn works in one. I also figured that it would make sense to have Liam around, since there are so many bookstore cats and some library cats. 
> 
> Edited, but if there are mistakes, they will be fixed later. Chapter title is Sia's "Bring Night"


	6. Got Into Trouble And I Had To Run Or Suffer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zayn takes Liam out to what is supposed to be a date night, but are cruelly reminded that no everyone sees Liam the way that Zayn does, forcing him to make a decision regarding Liam's rights and freedoms.

Zayn took the last drag of his cigarette, inhaling deeply for the last bit of nicotine before he put the paintbrush down and stepped back from the easel to look at the painting he had just created. He stared at it as he tasted the curl of smoke before he exhaled the thick blue smoke.

It was different than his other stuff, which tended to rely heavily on comic book motifs. This was more realistic, with warmer tones. The shadows weren’t as heavy and even though it veered on slightly stylised, he was happy with what he had so far. It had been a long time since he had been able to just lock himself up in his room and paint and he was well pleased with the result.

Nodding to himself, he stubbed out the cigarette and picked up the paintbrush to add a bit more of the raw umber onto the canvas. He had only dabbed a bit when Liam tapped on the door, making him scowl and then swear quietly when he looked up at his alarm clock. It was almost forty-five minutes from the time that he had promised to take Liam out for dinner as a treat. Cursing softly, he turned the easel to face the wall before he called out for Liam to come into the room.

“I’m so sorry! I lost track of time. Just give me like ten minutes to get all of this cleaned up and we can go.”

Liam nodded as he watched Zayn gather up his dirty paintbrushes, sludgy water and mixing plate and rush out of the room. Only to return in what felt like no time to Liam, only to strip off the ragged t-shirt he was wearing and exchange it for a nice tailored one in a few seconds flat. He grabbed his wallet and keys and then turned to Liam, who was only blinking at him with those soft brown eyes that always made him feel a painful tenderness in his chest when he saw them.

“I’m really sorry. I got caught up in painting. But I promise to make it up to you. I swear.”

Zayn murmured, putting out a hand to his hybrid, who blushed at the chivalrous gesture, despite being on the receiving end of them for the past three months. He had thought that Zayn would have grown tired of being so polite and so nice. But to his surprise, Zayn had kept on treating him like royalty and Liam couldn’t help but to feel flattered. He liked the attention and the bits of praise that Zayn gave him as they worked together throughout the day.

Even though his position of Jesy’s helper at the children’s section wasn’t overly taxing, Liam took pride in helping Jesy make the story hour more dynamic and successful than before. Zayn and Jesy had said that it was all due to Liam’s eagerness and patience with the curious children, since many of them hadn’t seen a hybrid before. Liam’s ears and tail were magnets to them and although it wasn’t always a pleasant thing for Liam, he did let them pat his ears and tail if they were gentle.

Most of the time, it had worked out. But there had been a child that had been too rough and made Liam yowl loudly when his ear was twisted painfully. Zayn had come running from the back room at Liam’s pained cry and had taken him home without any preamble. It wasn’t until parents asked when Jesy’s helper was going to return that Zayn (after clearing it with Liam) relented, but only if Liam was treated properly.

Zayn had been the one to make the rule stick. If the children couldn’t treat Liam gently, they would be asked to leave. Jesy had reinforced it with an iron fist and no problems were had after that day. Word had somehow got out  that there was a hybrid working in the library and slowly, Jesy and Liam noticed a few hybrid children showing up during the hour.

Zayn and his boss had been quite surprised that the hybrid children were starting to come and make themselves feel at home. It was becoming common knowledge that the library was a safe haven for the hybrids of the neighborhood and Zayn couldn’t help but to be pleased to see that happening. Especially since it was letting Liam come out of his shell and be more than a clingy and shy hybrid. Zayn was stunned at how far he had come since he had started working at the library and it made the hybrid even more appealing to him.

He felt like a weirdo thinking about how madly in love he was with Liam as they walked towards the restaurant that was just a few blocks away from their place. It wasn't what he'd ever thought he'd be and it was a bit disconcerting. Yet those negative thoughts were driven away by the feel of Liam’s hand in his own. It was a comforting weight that made him smile wider and feel lighter as he caught Liam’s soft smile.

He squeezed Liam’s hand tighter as they moved through the crowds that were milling around the streets on the way to the restaurant.He didn’t want to lose him, especially not when the crowds seemed to be quite thick and not so friendly when they noticed Liam’s ears and tail. Although most people tended to ignore them, there was a small minority that tended to get shirty when they saw hybrids without collars and leads in public.

Zayn had a collar and a lead just in case, but he couldn’t bring himself to put them on him. Not when he saw Liam as his partner, rather than a broodmare. He and Niall had discussed collaring Harry and Liam, but so far, had decided against it. But the looks that he was noting as they walked made Zayn wonder if it was going to be time to do so.

“Is this it?”

His dark thoughts were broken by Liam’s question. Zayn looked up and saw the bright neon sign of the sushi place that he and Niall had discovered ages ago when they had just moved into their flat. It had been awhile since they had gone and he really liked the atmosphere of the place. He figured that it would be the best place to bring Liam, since it was a small and homey location and the food was fantastic. He only wanted for Liam to have the best life experiences that he could ever give him and he figured that this was a best start.

“Yeah, it is. After you.”

With a flourish, Zayn let him go first, following right behind him and smiling at the hostess as she eyed both of them with a wide smile on her pale face. She flittered over both of them as she led them to seats in the back and grinned at them as she slid menus in front of them and filled their glasses with water before she went off to the front again.

“So what do you think of this place?”

Liam looked around wide eyed before he grinned at Zayn.

“It’s great! I never thought that I’d ever go to a place like this in my life. Thank you.”

Liam commented softly as Zayn reached out and clasped one of his hands tightly. Zayn smiled back in return, his chest filled with warm as he noted the happiness of Liam as he took in the sights and the experiences of eating sushi for the first time.

“This is sooo good!” He crowed, making Zayn hide his smile as he worked on his own nigiri and rolls. Liam was enjoying his meal immensely, wolfing it all down as if his life depended on it. He wasn’t a bottomless pit like Niall, but he did have the same love of food in common with his friend and roommate. And it was a great pleasure for Zayn to indulge that love of food.

“Good. This is a decent place. I’m glad that you like it. We will come here again.”

Liam lit up at that as he finished clumsily chasing the last roll on his delicate plate with his chopsticks. He succeeded finally in spearing it and eating it, closing his eyes in bliss as he chewed and swallowed the last of it. He took a sip of water and waited for Zayn to finish his last piece of nigiri before he signaled for the bill.

Zayn paid the bill and chatted with the waitress before they got their coats on and prepared to leave.

“Uh, Zayn. I just need to use the loo before we go.”

Zayn nodded. “I’ll wait for you in the front then, yeah?”

Liam returned the nod and went off to use the loo, not wanting to take too long. He was utterly relieved that there had been a free stall and he used it quickly, since he didn’t quite trust himself and his surroundings. Once he was done he went to the sinks and washed his hands rapidly, wrinkling his nose at the smell of the soap in the dispenser. He hummed to himself as he finished up and was about to dry off his hands when someone stood behind him and grabbed his face, making him turn around.

“You are pretty! And a Maine Coon mix too!”

Liam squeaked as he tried to get loose from the iron grip of the man standing in front of him. A tall, aristocratic looking man with steel grey eyes and a lean rugby player’s build that looked like he was used to getting whatever he wanted. Liam panicked and fought to get out of his grip. But the man held on tightly, making Liam struggle to get loose from his vice like hand.

“Please, let me go. My mate-”

“A mate? If you had a mate, kitten, he’d be here with you. No. A lone and uncollared  hybrid has no mate. Stop fighting me, kitten. I’ll take you home. You’ll do perfectly well.”

Liam squeaked and struggled against the man, yowling out his distress loud and long despite the man’s best efforts to shush him. He didn’t know if he was loud enough to reach Zayn, but he hoped that their connection would bring him and save him. The man tried to cover his mouth, but Liam bit him and renewed his efforts.

The man swore and backhanded Liam, making him stumble against the sinks in the bathroom and stand there stunned as he watched Zayn whirl in and roar at the man, pushing him against the stalls and locking them before he yanked Liam out of the bathroom. He grabbed Liam’s face and studied it intently for several minutes before he kissed him, hard, sloppy and possessive.

Once Zayn had tasted and properly scented Liam, he broke off the kiss abruptly and stepped back slightly. He ran his hands over all of Liam’s body before he cupped Liam’s face roughly and looked deep into his eyes.

“You alright, love?”

Liam nodded, shaken by both the bathroom incident and the roughness that Zayn used in both scenting and making sure that he wasn’t injured at all. Zayn exhaled and embraced Liam roughly again, standing there, holding him until the cold got to be too much for them.

“Let’s go home, okay?”

Liam mewled softly in agreement.

~*~*~*~*

Niall ran his fingertip over the rim of his pint glass before he looked up at Harry and Liam, who were lying on the couch under the blanket that Harry had grabbed from his room the moment that he had seen the red marks on his litter mate’s face. He then hadn’t wasted any time in stripping Liam of his clothes and bundling him up in soft pajamas. He then had bundled himself and Liam onto the couch where they had fallen asleep tangled up around each other.

Satisfied that they were still asleep he, then looked up at Zayn, who was still nursing his own drink and staring off into space. Harry hadn’t let him come near Liam once they had entered the room and even though it had gone against his instincts, he knew that it was something that Harry needed to do for his litter mate. If it had been another Alpha, Zayn would have bristled at the intrusion. But it was Harry, Liam’s litter mate who needed to reassure himself that Liam was fine, so Zayn let it happen.

So he had just busied himself with getting drinks for himself and Niall until the hybrids had finally crashed.

“He wasn’t assaulted, was he?” Niall finally asked bluntly, fed up with the heavy silence that had fallen over the living area now that the hybrids had fallen asleep.

Zayn shook his head, downing the last of his drink as he did so.

“He didn’t have time, luckily. But I can’t take the chance of anything like that happening again.”

Niall’s face scrunched up as he thought about what Zayn was suggesting. But after having gotten the story out of him, he knew what was going to come next. So instead, he cut to the chase.

“You think we should collar them, don’t you?”

Zayn sighed as he pushed his glass away.

“I don’t want to. I really don’t. But after tonight, I think that it’s unavoidable. I can’t risk Liam being snatched off the streets and taken from me. I can’t lose him, Niall. Not when I have just now found him and not when-”

He cut himself off and sighed heavily, making Niall’s mouth fall open as he put two and two together.

“Say no more, Zee. I get it. I totally do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot element in his chapter was already planned, since I wanted to explore what it would mean to have a hyrbid and what rights they would or would not have.  
> Collars of course denote ownership and Zayn doesn't feel quite like he has the right to do so. But after the incident in the bathroom, he feels like he has no choice in the matter.  
> Proofed and edited, but if mistakes appear, they will be fixed later. Title is from Hey Rosetta's "Carry Me Home"


	7. And You Give, And You Give, All That You Bleed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam's having many thoughts and feelings about his new situation while someone out there has designs on him.

Zayn’s fingers flew over the keyboard as he catalogued the new influx of materials that had recently been donated to the library. It was a bit of a tedious task, but he didn’t trust Matt or Jade to get it done without errors. Iwan was off on loan to another branch and would have been a great help, but he didn't have a say in getting him back. Besides, the branch that he had been sent off needed Iwan's expertise and it would be a big career boost for him. So Zayn only had wished him well and had begun counting down the days until he'd come back again. In the meantime, he'd put up with Jade and Matt. They were great with the public, but didn’t have the attention span needed for the minutiae of certain library tasks. He wasn’t that great with the public, so they traded off tasks when necessary so that the branch ran smoothly.

Thinking about them, since the library was pretty quiet, he looked up to see Matt humming quietly as he sifted through yet another box of materials, his wild curly hair pulled out of his face and held in place with a pencil or two. Jade was wiping down tables and stacking up books. He was pretty sure that Jade and Liam were still in the children’s area, since it needed more attention with the upsurge of hybrid kits and pups now that Liam was a permanent fixture. All in all, it looked like business as usual.

He glanced at the clock before turning back to his work and swore quietly when he saw the time. He was going to have to leave the rest of the materials uncatalogued until tomorrow. Or maybe Jesy would be able to finish the box if he asked nicely. After all, he was taking Liam away from her and the children’s section wouldn’t have another reading hour without Liam.

Nodding to himself, he left the spreadsheet open, grabbed his bag and jacket and headed off to the children’s area. Sure enough, Jesy and Liam were finishing up the straightening up after the afternoon cyclone had departed. Despite being his usual amiable self and chattering with Jesy, Zayn could see the lines of exhaustion in Liam’s face.

Although the work wasn’t hard or taxing, what with Liam being in the early stages of carrying a litter, it was starting to wear on him. Zayn also suspected that the confrontation with the Alpha in the sushi place had also affected him more deeply than he was letting on. Liam hadn’t been keen to repeat the visit to the restaurant despite liking the food and had become reserved whenever he was outside and not directly with Zayn.

It had been something that Zayn had tried to dismiss as a product of his Alpha over-protectiveness. Yet  when he saw Liam sidling up closer and playing with the collar in public, there really wasn’t anything else that he could say that was. Liam was traumatised and he had to help him get through it. The collaring had helped some and thanks to Harry being on board and not throwing a fit about being collared had made Liam less self-conscious about being collared.

Now that some time had passed, Liam was used to it. Although Zayn suspected that the exhaustion and the knowledge of the litter he was carrying had put a stop to any complaints he might have had. It was taking its toll on him and Zayn was doing his best to not make the situation any harder than it had to be on Liam. That had been the reason why he had let Liam work at the library still, rather than hiding him away at home like his instincts wanted him to.

Jesy was the one that saw him first and she waved him over. Liam was still focused on picking up the books and didn’t notice Zayn was there until he was practically looming over him. He started a bit and looked at Zayn with a confused look on his face as he stood up straight and stretched, letting his shirt ride up to show his now rounded stomach. Zayn forced himself to keep his hands to his side, despite wanting to touch the proof that yes, his children were inside. He wanted to, but didn’t want to make Liam feel self-conscious about his changing body. Just that morning, he had looked forlorn as he tugged his shirt down over the small bump. It hadn’t mattered to Zayn, but Liam hadn’t looked happy and had pulled on a hoodie before they had headed out to breakfast and then to work.

“We gotta go for your appointment, Li. Jesy, can you finish cataloguing the box on my desk? I promise that’s all you have to do for me while I’m gone today.”

Jesy bit her lip, but nodded. The children’s section was done for the day and even though it wasn’t her favourite activity, she knew that Zayn wouldn’t have asked unless it was important. She hadn’t been able to get much out of Liam that morning, so now that Zayn mentioned the appointment, it made sense why he had been quiet and slightly standoffish as they had worked. Zayn wasn’t one to bail out without a good reason and she had to admit that as far as favours went, he hadn’t asked for many in the past. He also definitely hadn’t asked for anything for himself in a long while.

Only for Liam, Jesy noted as she took in the careful way that Zayn helped Liam with his coat and looked him over to make sure that he was fine. It wasn’t done in the same overly possessive and calculating matter that other owners would do the same tasks. Yet with Zayn, it was with the same level of concern and courtesy that he showed when he was doing it for his mother and his sisters. The tenderness and caring that he telegraphed in his gestures wasn’t faked and Jesy could see that Zayn had fallen and fallen hard.

She hadn’t seen it before, since he seldom did bring his other partners into work.  When they did stop by, it was a simple meet and greet with an underlying tension from Zayn that none of the others wanted to address. Zayn had been very private about his personal life before and hadn’t shown anything to his coworkers that he had been in love before. Not like this.

“Okay, we’re off now. Take care and thanks again, Jesy. I owe you.”

Zayn’s words of gratitude had brought her back from her musings and she blinked and smiled in return.

“Thanks, Jesy.”

Liam thanked her, his voice soft as he spoke, making the over-protectiveness she had felt since meeting him rise up again. Impulsively, she hugged him.

“Don’t mention it. Just take care of yourself, alright?”

Liam nodded and Jesy pulled away, fully aware that Zayn might start to take it the wrong way and react badly. To his credit, he only smiled and held out his hand for Liam to take before they left the library. Jesy watched them go before she bent to her task again. She had a hell of a lot more to do and she could parse Zayn and Liam’s relationship to her heart’s content later.

~*~*~*~*~

Liam fiddled with his collar as he sat on the examination table and waited for the doctor to come in. Zayn was sitting in one of the two chairs in the room, since he was curious to know what the doctor would say about Liam’s health. They had just fairly recently discovered that Liam was indeed carrying after his first heat. Liam hadn’t felt any different and Zayn hadn’t acted out of sorts after, so they both had assumed that it hadn’t happened and would have happily waited for another heat to try again.

Liam himself wasn’t sure how he felt about the situation when he had taken the pregnancy test that Zayn had abruptly pressed on him a week after his encounter with the Alpha in the bathroom. He was still working through the emotions that encounter had brought up when he saw the two lines on the stick. He had been curiously numb at seeing them and as it was, he was still not sure how he felt even now, after all that time had passed.

He had gone to other appointments and had made sure to take care of himself, but if anyone was to ask him how he really felt about being a dam, he wasn’t sure what he’d say. He wasn’t angry or trapped, he knew that for sure. But he also wasn’t overjoyed or overly thrilled that he was carrying new lives in him. Part of him, felt it was unfair that he was being tied down again. It wasn’t that he didn’t want children. But it was _just too soon._

He had only now gotten a taste of how life would have been for him if he hadn’t been a hybrid and he wasn’t quite ready to give it up. He didn’t think that Zayn would suddenly take away his freedoms and force him to have litter after litter. No. Zayn, for all his faults, wouldn’t dream of doing that. Yet...Liam was afraid that he would be once again chained up to one exact location, taking care of his children until they were old enough to fend for themselves. He hoped that they would look more Zayn and less like him, so they wouldn’t get hassled like he did. Or have to be collared and proclaimed to be the property of an Alpha.

His hands clenched at the collar and he suddenly found himself engulfed in the warm circle of Zayn’s arms. Zayn was stroking his hair and murmuring something so low under his breath that Liam couldn’t quite catch it. Nevertheless, it helped to soothe him, even though he hadn’t realised that he had worked himself up so badly. Nor that he had started to make sounds of distress while all those thoughts were going through his head.

“It’s going to be okay, Li. It’s going to be okay. I know it’s overwhelming right now. But you’re going to be fine.Just fine.”

Zayn soothed him, but Liam couldn’t quite calm down just then.

“How? This is too much too soon! How will I know how to raise them? Or to keep them safe? I’m scared, Zee. I’m scared that they’re going to get grabbed or treated like second class citizens because of who they are. I’m scared I’m going to lose what I just gained. So how is it going to be okay?”

He asked, pulling away to look at Zayn, who was looking back at him with a grave expression on his face as he took in everything that Liam was saying and didn’t speak until Liam had finished.

“It is. We just met and things happened fast. But we aren’t alone in this, Li. Harry and Nialler and Jesy, Jade and Matt can help. Louis and Gareth and Iwan will too, if we ask. My family. I’m not going to leave you alone in this. I’m not going to keep you at home, unless you want to. I hate that the collars are a necessity, but I won’t lose you and I’ll do anything to keep you safe.”

Zayn told him, his eyes gold and earnest as the words that Zayn was speaking. Liam could taste the truth in the words. He could also taste the slight undercurrent of nervousness and fear in them and knew that Zayn was putting his fear away so that Liam wasn’t scared. He could see and feel all of this and it paradoxically made him feel better.

He opened his mouth to tell him that he understood and could sense the truth of all of it, but the doctor chose that moment to arrive. They pulled apart, but Liam looked at Zayn and hoped that his mate understood.

Judging by the small squeeze Zayn gave him before pulling away, he thought that Zayn did.

~*~*~*~*~

He stood at his desk and lit a cigarette as he recalled the doe eyed feline hybrid that he had held several months ago in his hands. He had seen many like him, but that one still haunted him. He couldn’t understand why he was so enthralled with what clearly looked to be a lesser quality hybrid. But he was. And he wanted. Oh he wanted badly.

Already, he could taste that pale cream skin, feel the way that the lithe body would move underneath him. He wanted him. No other hybrid would do. He had accepted that no other would do.

And he was going to make sure that he’d have the hybrid if it was the last thing that he could possibly do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Liam-He's not had his own chapter really in a while and I wanted to show a different kind of take on impending motherhood than the usual overjoyed reaction even when it comes at an off time.  
> Zayn-He'll get to actually communicate with Liam in the next chapter. Harry and Niall will also come back again.  
> Mystery Dude-Haven't decided if he will be an OC or someone in RL  
> Proofed and edited, but if mistakes remain they will be fixed.


	8. Here I Sit, In My Burning Cell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A past encounter has led to Zayn falling apart, Harry missing his brother, and Liam in a guilded cage. And none of them have any idea how it will all get sorted out.

Zayn drank down the whiskey laced tea with large, noisy gulps that made it seem as if he was a man dying of thirst. He put the mug down with a clatter on the ring stained table and shakily dug out a cigarette out of the crumpled packet and lit it with shaking hands. He inhaled deeply, holding it into his lungs until it made spots dance in his vision before he finally exhaled.

He watched the blue smoke curl up around his head and he inhaled again in an effort to not give in and really feel the crushing pain that had taken residence there ever since he had come home to find Harry wailing in Niall’s arms and Liam gone. Snatched up by someone, according to the Tesco camera and the police officers that had come to talk to them right after.

That was all that they had gotten, since the person that had grabbed Liam had been wearing a hoodie and a heavy coat. Almost nothing of his face or other features could be seen, yet the police were positive that they could find the perpetrator and bring Liam back. They had clues, they assured Niall and Zayn, yet they were reluctant to share  _ what _ they had. Although it was comfort, it still didn’t change the fact that Liam was gone from his life and he was falling apart bit by bit while Niall and Harry watched helplessly. 

He tried to hide it and try to pick up the pieces of his life as much as he was able to. His bosses at the library understood as did his co-workers, but he was also careful enough to not take advantage of their goodwill. He did his best to keep it together when he was at work. He also tried to not let Niall and Harry worry overmuch about him.

But there were some nights, when it felt like nothing was going to work out and his chest hurt so much that his ribcage felt like it was going to break into two that he allowed himself to fall apart. He hated feeling so weak, but he could only hold it together for so long. He hated that he hadn’t protected Liam better and now he was gone. 

He exhaled and took another drag, smoking the cigarette down to the filter and stubbing it out onto the table. He picked up the half empty bottle of whiskey and poured three fingers’ worth into it. He screwed the cap on the bottle and picked up the mug, ready to go back to the kitchen and get more tea out when he turned around and came face to face with Harry. 

“Harry? What the fuck?”

Zayn yelped out, nearly dropping the mug and instead, got it grabbed out of his hand by Harry and set down on the table.

“You need to stop this, Zayn.All of it. Making yourself numb and sick isn’t going to help bring my brother back.”

Harry pointed out flatly, making Zayn blink at him before getting angry and slightly embarrassed that a kitten was lecturing him on his behaviour.

“Yeah? Don’t you think I know that?”

Harry only raised his eyebrow as his tail swished around in angry loops. 

“Yeah? You could have fooled me. Drinking yourself stupid when you think we don’t see you. Liam’s my littermate, Zayn. I know it hurts. But I also know that self-destructing isn’t going to help matters. Zayn...I don’t want to lose you too. I already lost a brother...”

Harry’s voice trailed off at that, the anger gone from him as he sank against the table. His covered his face with his hand as his shoulders shaking as he started to weep in low, mournful chirps. 

Zayn blinked at him, suddenly ashamed and overwrought at his behaviour for the past while. He felt his face crumpling up as he suddenly was overwhelmed by grief as tears suddenly started coursing down his cheeks. He didn’t want to feel all of this grief that was pouring out of him at the sight of Harry weeping. He didn’t want to deal with this all. 

He didn’t want to deal with missing Liam and not knowing if he was ever going to see him or his kits ever again. He didn’t want to feel the loss of his love, his mate, and his future. He hated that he had love and now it was-

He felt thin arms wrap themselves around his shoulders and pull him into an embrace.

“It’s not gone, Zayn. Even though it hurts now, you shouldn’t hate having it. Please, believe me. Please…”

Zayn blinked wet eyelashes as it him him that he had said everything he had been thinking outloud to Harry. He opened and closed his mouth, but no words came out. Instead, ugly sobs that nearly tore his throat apart were all the sounds he could make.

“It’s alright, it’s alright, it’s alright…”

His voice lowered to a whisper as Zayn cried out his grief on his shoulder, standing with him until they were both silent and completely drained out. 

That was how Niall found them later, with a mug of whiskey, long forgotten and sitting on the table while they stood there clutching each other’s jumpers. They looked up at him with bloodshot, yet clear eyes and Niall felt the dread that had been sitting in heart somewhat clear up. He had been worried about Zayn and had blamed himself for being unable to help him as much as possible. 

He had wracked his brain over what he could have possibly done short of dragging him to a psychiatrist. Even though it looked like the storm has passed, Niall wasn’t going to discount doing so. Especially now that the worst had passed and Zayn looked to be finally closing the door on his depression over Liam. 

All of these thoughts went through his head, but he didn’t want to bring it up just then, afraid of breaking the spell. Instead, he only greeted them before he went to the kitchen and went to make more tea and dinner.

~*~*~*~*~

Liam sat at the table and looked down at the plate in front of him, filled with a delectable meal that he hadn’t dreamed he would ever be eating. A delicate cut glass goblet filled with fresh peach juice sat directly in front of his cutlery. A pitcher with more juice sat nearby along with a plate of pastries that Liam knew were heavenly. He kept his eye on the food, rather than on the Alpha that was sitting on the sofa across the room, watching him. 

Liam didn’t want to give him any hint of what he was thinking. Of what he had found in all those hours left alone with only the quiet maid as a companion. Or rather, a guard. He had nearly worked it all out, but he was afraid of being thwarted again. He knew that Sir Alfred had installed the extra locks on all the doors because of the last time. 

Before his belly had grown rounder and had made him less graceful and clumsier. Liam knew that Sir Alfred thought he wasn’t going to try again. But he didn’t know Liam that well. Hadn’t tried to find out anything about him, other than the most surface things. And he could have done it easily. If he had only bothered.

His presence was overpowering, almost like strong and cloying cologne and if he had been more insistent, he would have forced Liam to reveal all his secrets with just a touch and a look. But he didn’t even try. He thought he had won and had only exerted his will onto Liam when he had wanted Liam to yield to him. 

Yet Liam didn’t want to take the chance and only let the mundane thoughts be at the forefront of his mind. Or simple blind defiance, to misdirect him and lull him further into thinking that it was all over and that he had won.

Liam would have succeeded, but his physical needs won out like they had lately.

His mouth watered, but he didn’t make a move to pick up his knife and fork.

“You should eat. Please, don’t be polite on my account. I already ate. Think of your kits.”

Liam made a low noise in his throat, but didn’t dispute the fact. He had guessed that Sir Alfred, as the Alpha had wanted to be known as, would manipulate him with the health of his kits. So he followed the not so subtle order and began to eat.

At least complying wasn’t a difficult matter. Especially since it was good quality food that Sir Alfred had served him. Although Liam has been tempted to be petulant and defiant and not eat it and throw it to the ground, he had been hungry too many times in the past to waste food. Not to mention that the growing litter in his belly made that a moot point. He had tried to stage a hunger strike earlier in his captivity, but had nearly fainted and had grudgingly eaten the well prepared food despite glaring at Sir Alfred all the while. 

“You may hate me, but you won’t harm those mongrels in your belly.” 

Sir Alfred had told him in those cut crystal tones as Liam had pushed away the fine porcelain and cutlery and watched the other Alpha warily. Just like he had done the minute that he had woken up in this luxurious flat after being grabbed from the Tesco he had rushed to get milk from. He had stopped watching him once Liam realised that the Alpha had no intention of touching him sexually until the kits came. When that time came…

Liam forced himself to not think that far and instead focused on the tastes and textures of the food and drink in front of him. Despite the nearly oppressive presence of Sir Alfred in the room, he managed to block him out enough to enjoy his meal and the dessert afterward. It had taken practice, but he had managed to perfect it after how many months he had spent under the Alpha’s thumb. Sir Alfred hadn’t liked it, but had learned to not fight it. Especially after Liam had simply shut down in front of him when he had gotten too agressive. He had learned when to press his attention onto Liam and was content to wait until the time was right for him to do so. 

Like now. 

Liam had pushed his plate and cutlery away and had used his napkin, leaving it crumpled beside his plate. He drained the last of the juice and stood up away from the table. He took a deep breath, knowing full well what the Alpha wanted. He had already seen the naked lust and proprietary in those cold grey eyes. It made his skin crawl, but he didn’t dare refuse him. 

Yet he tried. Liam stood there, forcing himself to not give in right away. Not to let him have all of the power despite them both knowing that he did. Liam raised his head and looked at Sir Alfred, taking in those cold grey eyes, those chiseled features and that body that spoke of extreme physical strength. A strength that he could unleash if Liam didn’t toe the line. 

Sir Alfred watched him quietly, shifting on the sofa in impatience before he fixed his stare onto Liam. 

“ _ Liam.” _

It was one word, but it was enough. 

Liam stifled a sigh as he moved toward Sir Alfred and knelt in front of him.

He tried to not wince when Sir Alfred’s long fingered hand cupped his chin and made him look up into his face. 

Liam only had enough time to see Sir Alfred’s pupils contract before he was abruptly kissed and his mind shut down.

~*~*~*~*~

“Is there anything else, sir?”

The maid asked as she pulled on her coat and slung her purse strap over her shoulder as she prepared to leave for the night. Sir Alfred shook his head as he watched her get ready to leave. He made a mental check before he replied and found nothing was needed. 

“Nothing else. I will see you tomorrow, Elise.”

Elise smiled primly before she turned toward the door. 

“Very good sir. Have a good night.”

Sir Alfred returned the smile. A faint quirking of his thin lips that anyone else would have missed. But Elise had worked for him long enough to recognise the subtleties of his expressions and simply let herself out. Once she had closed the door behind her, she let out a breath that she hadn’t realised that she had been holding. It wasn’t hard, working for him. But it was hard to keep his secrets. Especially now that he had that Omega. 

She shook her head and took her usual route to the metro. She hoped that with this new one, that it would be less of a problem than with the last Omega Sir Alfred had set his sights on. She didn’t think that she would be able to keep quiet then. 

She smoothed her hair back as she briskly walked down the stairs and got lost into the crowd, her mind clearing of the thoughts of her employers as she too, rushed to catch the train. She breathed out a sigh of disappointment at missing it and settled down on one of the benches to wait. As she did so, she looked around and nearly dropped her purse when she saw the flyer that was posted on one of the boards. 

“Oh the lords and saints preserve us.”

~*~*~*~*~*

Gareth was bleary eyed and barely awake when his hand shot out from under the covers and clamped around Louis’ phone. 

“I hope you have a really good reason for calling this late. Louis hasn’t been feeling well and is dead tired.”

Gareth growled out quietly into the mobile, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that his Omega was still out. The last few months had been rough on Louis and Gareth would be damned if he was going to wake him up without a good reason. 

“I wouldn’t call if it was otherwise, Gareth. I can guarantee that.”

Gareth felt slightly guilty when he heard Niall’s clipped voice on the other end. They had asked for updates ever since Liam had been snatched off the streets months ago. Both of them, not just Louis and he did appreciate the fact that Niall was keeping his bargain.

“How is he then, Zayn?”

Gareth asked as he glanced over a sleeping Louis again, noticing that he was still dead to the world.

“Better. Much better than before.”

Gareth sucked in a breath, fully awake now. 

“Did they-”

“Aye. They found him. He’s in the hospital, but they found him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to explain the importance of the Alpha in the bathroom as well as his appearance in the last bit of the last chapter. The Alpha in my mind is Jude Law as he appears in action movies, with a posher accent. Nearly aristrocat, but not quite.  
> I also wanted to have Harry and Zayn interacting, since it had been awhile. I also wanted Niall and Gareth to interact, since they seem to be the more stable ones out of the whole situation.  
> I also hate the cameras in Tesco's (I was in Ireland and Northern Ireland last April/May) they make me nervous, but I know why they are there.  
> Story title is from Matthew Barber's "And You Give" proofed, but if errors remain they will be fixed later.


	9. I Need You Now, Like The Air I Breathe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niall is worried Zayn has finally come full circle and is wearing himself thin with the situation. Sir Alfred gets a startling surprise as does Liam.

Niall watched Zayn as he impatiently stirred sugar into the coffee that Harry had gone to get him earlier in the evening. His hands were shaking and his eyes had such dark circles under them that they looked painful. As far as Niall knew, Zayn hadn’t slept ever since the police had show up at their flat with the news that they had found Liam. He wasn’t sure exactly how long ago that had been, since he too, had only managed to snatch a couple of bits of sleep here and there when Harry and Gareth had ganged up on him.

Louis had done his best at trying to get Zayn to take a break, but hadn’t had much success. It was disenheartening to see, since Liam would need Zayn once the dust settled. And Zayn making himself sick with worry wasn’t going to help with matters. Yet Zayn was so consumed and determined to be with Liam when he woke that Niall was starting to get worried. He only seemed to listen to Harry and Gareth out of all people and even they had to battle with him to get him to that point.

Right now, Gareth was with Louis, who couldn’t always be in the hospital due to his own health concerns as they waited for news over Liam’s condition. Harry was off using the loo and that left him and Zayn in the family room. Drinking builder’s tea (for Niall) and dark coffee (for Zayn) and not saying the things that they were afraid to say at that particular time. Niall swallowed some tea as he then forced himself to open the conversation that he didn’t think he was going to ever have with Zayn.

“Have they said anything else about Liam’s condition yet?”

He asked, knowing it was a lame opening tactic, but he figured that it was better than being blunt and telling Zayn to get his ass home and to bed and actually start looking after himself. Zayn took the spoon out of his coffee and put it down beside the takeaway cup before he looked up at Niall with his bloodshot eyes.

“Soon. I checked with the nurses at the station and they said as soon as they do the tests on Liam, we’d know.”

Niall made a small noise of agreement. “How long ago was that?”

Zayn frowned as he then checked the time on his phone.  “About ten minutes from now. I asked when you went to the loo and Harry was out getting the drinks.”

Niall nodded at the answer. “What will you do after that?”

Zayn looked down at his hands and chewed up nails before he spoke.

“Depends on the answer that they give me. If Liam’s awake...I’m not going home, Ni. I’m not gonna leave him alone. Not when the kits…”

He cut himself off and bit his lip hard enough to leave a red mark. He took a couple of deep breaths before he got himself under control again.

“How are they, then? The kits?”

Zayn’s weary face brightened up just a bit at the question.

“They’re still doing well, thank fuck. They’ve gained weight, the two of them. That’s a good sign and they’re breathing on their own now.”

Zayn reported, his eyes losing their lacklustre dullness and lighting up at the thought of the two kits that were in the NICU. They had been part of the reluctance on his part to go and get some much needed self-care. Even though all of them were pulling shifts to be with Liam and the kits, Zayn was adamant that he was going to be there until they were all out of danger.

Niall, despite being touched at the sentiment, was suspecting that Zayn was deathly afraid to come back to worse news than he had heard that first morning after they had been contacted with Liam’s whereabouts.That if he stayed there, he was preventing anything else from happening. It was a childish way of thinking, but he knew that Zayn was using it as a coping mechanism for the time being. Niall in fact, was sure that Zayn still hadn’t truly absorbed the impact of the news completely. He was actually quite worried over Zayn’s state of mind when it finally did hit and how he would deal with the fall out.

But the animation that came over Zayn’s face gave him a bit of hope that it perhaps wasn’t going to be as bad as he feared.

That was the reason why Niall smiled at the news. He had seen them, with their dark little ears and tail curled up tightly against their bodies as they lay under the warming lamps in their bassinet. The nurses had been afraid to separate them in case they worsened, so they had shared their warmth and space. And had slowly started to thrive, much to the nurses and Zayn’s relief.

“That’s good. Any word on when they will be able to go home?”

Zayn’s brows furrowed as he opened his mouth to reply, only to snap his jaw shut when the doctor and a nurse appeared in the room.

“Mr. Malik! Mr. Horan! How are you this evening?”

Both Zayn and Niall stood up at that and nodded at the doctor and nurse.

“Good, despite the circumstances.”

The doctor only looked at Zayn and decided to let the blatant lie go as he opened the file and looked at his notes. Niall and Zayn waited for him to tell them his findings with a barely muted air of expectation. Niall found himself hoping that it was good news. They had been disappointed so much over the past little while and he knew that Zayn desperately needed some good news before he cracked and broke over the strain of it all.

“I understand. So I will tell you both that Liam has improved since he was brought in. He’s responding to stimuli despite not being conscious yet. We think that he’ll regain consciousness in a day or so.”

Zayn let out a soft noise of relief at that, slumping against Niall who braced himself at the last minute to make sure that neither of them toppled to the floor.

“And his injuries?”

Niall asked as he wrapped an arm around Zayn’s waist. Liam had broken his ankles and legs during his escape and had hit his head hard when he had landed on the grass. It was a good thing he had landed on grass, since he would have no doubt broken his skull if he had landed on the sidewalk.

“They’re healing nicely and due to his physiology, Liam will be back on his feet much sooner than we expected. Once he regains consciousness, that is.”

Niall let out a soft breath and tightened his arm just a bit around Zayn, who gratefully sank into Niall even further.

“About how long as we talking?”

Niall asked briskly. The doctor looked up from the file before snapping it shut and looking at Niall again.

“Four, maybe six months at the months, barring any complications. He’s in good hands, Mr. Horan, Mr. Malik. As are your children.”

He cleared his throat and cast a sharp look in Zayn’s direction.

“Mr. Malik. Go home. I know that you’re concerned about your hybrid and that’s commendable, but making yourself sick and landing in a bed beside him isn’t going to do him or you any favours. He needs his Alpha. Don’t deprive him or your children of one out of some misguided sense of sacrifice.”

There was a sudden chill in the room and although Niall swore inwardly at the uncharacteristic bluntness of the usually sympathetic doctor, he was glad that he had called Zayn out. He just hoped that Zayn would listen and not go into an Alpha rage over the observation. In preparation, he hooked his fingers into the loops of his jeans so he could pull him back just in case he decided to attack.

Zayn stiffened at the words and he glared at the doctor for several moments before he finally gave him a terse nod of agreement. Niall breathed out a soft sigh of relief at that and he was sure that the nurse beside the doctor did the same. Yet he still wasn’t going to loosen his grip on Zayn until he was one hundred percent sure that nothing was going to happen.

After a few moments, the doctor and the nurse took their leave and it was only then that Zayn slumped against him again and the temperature of the room seemed to rise to normal. They stood there for a few minutes longer before Zayn finally pushed himself off of Niall and smiled weakly at his friend.

“Let’s get Harry and go.”

It was only then that Niall let go of his belt loops.

~*~*~*~*~

Sir Alfred sat with his hands clasped in front of him on the table that he had been handcuffed to and refused to let them see any cracks in his demeanour. Even though he was unshaven and looking slightly worse for the wear, he was determined to remain calm and under control. Despite the hybrid being found injured and crumpled under the open window of his house, he was sure that his lawyer would be able to get him off or lightly.

There wasn’t that much evidence, thanks to Elise’s thoroughness and it would take them quite a bit of mental gymnastics to connect the hybrid to him. The open window would be a tricky bit to explain away, but he had faith in the firm that had served his family so well over the years. So he suppressed the smirk and instead looked at the door where he was sure that the DI was going to come in with an expression that could curdle lemons and let him go.

It had happened before, he knew the routine.

It was just a snag in the plan that could easily be rectified. The only hassle that annoyed him was that he would have to get another hybrid...And Liam was so _perfect._ And the stupid hybrid had to go and-

The door opened and he bit his lip when he saw the two DI’s step in along with a uniformed copper holding a metal clipboard. All of them had scarily neutral looks on their faces and he couldn’t glean anything from them. Not even the young uniformed one. This...This was not on par with the course.

It was only then that he started to entertain the possibility that this time, it was going to be different. The suspicion got stronger when the DI sat across from him and looked at him thoughtfully. Sir Alfred only stared back, not willing to show his hand until he was sure of where he stood in this situation.

“Sir Alfred Baxter-Endicott. I’m going to presume that you know why you are here.” The DI, who looked like a polished up version of a telly cop asked, his dark eyes boring into him. Odd eyes, Sir Alfred mused. But he couldn't quite pinpoint why that was the case.

Sir Alfred nodded. “Trumped up charges over that hybrid found on my property. My lawyer should be able to clear up any misconceptions once she gets here. Now gentlemen, unless this is about releasing me, we don’t have anything else to really say to each other at this point.”

He immediately knew it was the wrong thing to say when the other DI, a slender woman with reddish brown hair and a heart shaped face with high cheekbones and a sharp jaw that only served to emphasise the fact that she was at least a quarter hybrid stepped forward. In her hand she held a thick file that she set down in front of him. Their eyes met briefly and Sir Alfred was taken aback by the sheer amount of hatred that he saw in those jade green eyes with vertical pupils instead of the usual round ones he was used to seeing. He was still stunned as he saw the first DI open the file and show him what it contained.

As he saw the crisply written pages and the pictures, he couldn’t help but to slump as he understood that the trap that they had set had just closed up around him.

He sat there as they read the charges and his rights, all of it pouring over him without sinking in.

There was a scant hope that his solicitor would get him out.

The least he could hope for was five years.

~*~*~*~*~

It was...He didn’t have any words to describe waking up from the darkness he had been in. One moment, there were faint whispers, faraway echoes and soft, faint beeps. The next, his eyes had snapped open. And then shut again. The light was too damned bright to keep his eyes open.

He tried again, but it was too much effort and he found himself, much to his dismay, drifting off.

The next time, it was a gradual waking. Like on lazy Sunday mornings when he didn’t have to be anywhere and he could just enjoy staying in bed. He tried to stretch out, but found that he couldn’t. In fact, it hurt more than felt good and this made him finally open his eyes and keep them open as he took in the fact that this wasn’t his and Zayn’s comfortably messy bedroom.

He tried to sit up, but only managed to get himself briefly propped up to see two things: His beat up body and his casted legs propped up on pillows and his flat stomach. A curl of unease unfurled in his stomach at the sight before it all came rushing back.

Sir Alfred. The open window. The maid’s panicked face as she reached out to him. The air rushing past his face and then…

The beeping from the machines he was hooked up to alerted the nurses, doctors, Harry and…

_“Zayn.”_

He never did figure out if he had said out loud or just breathed it. He didn’t have time to find out. Not when Zayn had wrapped himself around him and wouldn’t let him go.

And despite some of the pain, Liam wasn’t about to either.

At least until…

“Zayn? Where are the kits?”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Niall was rushing through the halls, fresh off his shift and not feeling the twelve hours that he had spent on his feet. Once Harry had calmed down and stopped chirping to tell him that Liam had woken up, he hadn’t even thought to stop at home to get dressed. He needed to see it with his own two eyes. After so much time with such heavy uncertainty, he needed to make sure that yes, Liam was awake and well.

He wasn’t quite proud of the fact that he nearly skidded into a wall when he got to the room and saw Zayn curled up protectively around Liam, their hands intertwined and their voices soft as they spoke. It was too raw, too intimate and too private of a moment to barge into, so he quietly stepped out and closed the door, leaving it slightly ajar.

He breathed out a quiet sigh of relief at the sight and smiled brightly when he saw a familiar hybrid come running towards him and nearly tackle him to the ground. If he hadn’t been expecting it, he would have most definitely collapsed with the weight of his hybrid barrelling towards him.

“Happy to see me, love?”

He asked wrapping his arms around Harry, who chirped loudly. A vocalisation that he hadn’t ever heard before from his Hybrid. Eyes wide, Niall quickly scented him and swore softly. Out of all times…

“Ni...Ni...Ni…”

Harry whispered, his body shaking as the first waves of his heat hit him. He was much too close and Niall bit off another curse as he marched to the Nurse’s station.

And he thought that today was going to be calm, for once. Huh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think that this will be the second to last chapter of this story, since Liam and Zayn do need to get together and meet their little ones. It was a tumultous week last week and this week isn't looking much calmer, but I promise to finish it before the end of the year.  
> Edited, but if typos and stuff appear, I will fix them at a later date. Title is still from Matthew Barber.  
> The DI's look like Colin Farrell and Sophie Ellis-Bextor and they should make another appearance in the next chapter, which will more than likely be a coda.


	10. I Need You More Than You Would Ever Believe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zayn gets more information regarding Liam's case. Liam and Zayn are working to pick up the pieces with the help of their friends and hoping for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be the first to admit that I know nothing about how police stuff goes and what I do know is from copious reading of mystery novels and police procedurals from the UK, CND, US, and Nordic Countries. So take that scene with about a spoonful of salt and stuff.  
> Thank you all that are following and reading this fic and I hope you enjoy the chapter, which is a coda of sorts. Title is from Matthew Barber's "And You Give" still and it has been edited, but if errors appear, they will be fixed later.

Zayn put out the cigarette and threw the filter into the rubbish bin outside of the Police Station that he had been called to. He wasn’t nervous, but he wasn’t exactly calm either. His senses were heightened and he was a state of alert as he adjusted his coat and walked into through the glass and metal doors. He moved swiftly, signing his name into the front desk register and getting further instructions as to where to meet the DI’s that had apprehended the scum that had kidnapped Liam and kept him in his house for all those months.

Once he had gotten his instructions, he hurried down the brightly lit, but still somewhat dingy halls until he found office number twelve and who he assumed were the DI’s. He paused at the door to take in the slight and pretty woman that looked quite out of place in the somewhat haphazard office. He caught a sharp scent that was not truly masked by her perfume and understood right away. An Alpha. Of course she had to be to be a copper, her looks notwithstanding.

The man though, looked like everyone’s idea of what a DI would look like, with his five o’clock shadow and stylish, but rumpled clothes. His gaze was on the paperwork in front of him and he rubbed the leather cuff on his wrist as his eyes skimmed over the printed text. Zayn couldn’t quite catch his scent, but the Alpha strength rolled off of him in waves that Zayn guessed were only just a fraction of the power he held inside.

The woman seemed vaguely familiar to him, in a way that he couldn’t place. Maybe there was something about the shade of her hair, or the sharpness of her features. Or maybe it was the way that her fingers flew over the keyboard as she typed up something. He couldn’t figure out, but didn’t have time to dwell on it, since she paused and looked up directly at him.

Her green eyes had vertical pupils and it nearly made him gasp in surprise. She was a partial hybrid. Maybe a third generation or fourth, if the eyes and the sharpness of her features were anything to go by. Liam didn’t have the pupils, but his tail and ears more than marked him as one. Well. This was certainly a surprise.

“I’m terribly sorry to disturb you, but I got a call to come down to talk to the DI’s in charge of the Malik case?”

He was proud of his voice sounding fairly even and normal as he spoke the words. He didn’t want to come off as an asshole in front of the very people responsible for putting that bastard behind bars. It may have for seven years, but at least it was something. Especially since it had influenced the pushing of even more bills through Parliament and the House of Lords regarding hybrid rights.

It wasn’t a full and comprehensive bill of rights, but it was more than the scant protections that had been offered to them before Liam’s case had become national and international news. Zayn bit his lip to bring himself back to the present and away from those ruminations. He had to deal with two DI’s. He needed to be sharp, even though he was sure that they dealt with even more distraught families every day of their careers.

The woman was the one who caught on and smiled at him, getting up from her own small desk and extending a warm hand with carefully manicured nails to him. He shook her hand and she directed him to a small chair in front of her colleague’s desk.

“Right. Mr. Malik?”

Zayn nodded as he let go of her hand and moved towards the chair, but didn’t sit down. He was too jittery to do so and honestly just wanted to get it over and done with. He was itching to go back to his mate and litter and hopefully shut this part of the ordeal into the past where it most definitely belonged.

“Right. I’m DI Bethany Wesley and this is my partner, DI Eamonn Viktor and we were the ones in charge of your partner’s case.”

DI Bethany explained in rapid, but not unsympathetic tones. DI Eamonn nodded and passed her the file to show Zayn, but he shook his head.

“I’ve been seeing the aftermath up close...I appreciate the fact that you want to show me it, but I’ll pass, thank you.”

DI Bethany exchanged a look with her partner before she closed up the folder and tucked it under her arm.

“Right. Well, I’ll skip the details and get to the facts. Sir Baxter-Endicott had a history of kidnapping hybrids and getting away with it. We know of four, Liam included. Liam was the only one to escape and we suspect that it was due to the highly public way that he escaped that we had this brought to our attention.”

Zayn swallowed the bitterness that filled his mouth at hearing those words. Even though he knew that it was true as he had heard the testimonies from the case, sitting in the gallery...It still wasn’t easy to hear that a slight trick of fate had allowed Liam freedom and his life. He nodded and swallowed again.

DI Eamonn took over then, his eyes and tone sympathetic in a way that told Zayn this wasn’t his usual state of being and that it was a rare occurrence that it came forth.

“I understand it isn’t pleasant to hear these things. We try to not have people or hybrids fall through the tracks. It shouldn’t have ever happened, but with Liam’s testimony as well as the maid’s own, this won’t happen as often. And when it does, we can catch them earlier.”

A muscle in Zayn’s cheek jumped, but he forced himself to not over-react. He couldn’t be angry at those DI’s. Not when they spoke the truth and still tried to fight the good fight. He also knew that he couldn’t be angry at anyone that helped his Li.

“As you know, he won’t get parole for this. Despite his standing and money, he’s slated to serve his full sentence and his name will be added to the Registry of Hybrid Offenders. He will never own or be allowed near any hybrid for the rest of his life.We can promise you that at least.”

Eamonn told Zayn, his eyes dark, but not dark enough to show that he too, had the same vertical pupils that were dilating and constricting as he spoke.

Zayn felt suddenly hollow as it clicked in his mind that out of everyone out there, these two would know personally what he was going through. He had to admit that he had been overly critical and hasty with them, since he had been so focused on how Liam had been so mistreated and not seeing the big picture. He knew that he was developing a bit of tunnel vision when it came to his mate and it would be something to look at later when he had the luxury and the calm to do so.

“Thank you for your work on his case and for getting him help right away. I doubt that he would have made it otherwise. I really do appreciate your work.”

He felt them both relax a fraction at his words and slight smiles appear on both of their stern faces.

“It’s our pleasure.”

~*~*~*~*~

Liam tried to not be annoyed as he slowly and carefully made his way across the flat on his walker. He hated being so weak and so damaged and hated himself for being so whingy. Logically, he knew that he was making great strides. He had jumped out of a three story window while heavily pregnant and had more or less _walked_ away. The doctors had emphasized that fact whenever he had gotten frustrated with how long it was taking for him to get back to normal. At least they had taken the pins out of his ankles earlier than predicted. That was a good sign. 

Most of the time, he had been grateful that he had survived, for his kit’s sakes. But when it took him what felt like an eternity to get anything done, he did get cranky and slightly petty.

He wanted for the past few months of his life to have never happened. If he couldn’t get that, than at least to forget them. He didn’t want to recall that gilded prison or that man’s hands on him. Or his eyes fixed upon him and the taunts and threats. Liam wanted his simple life back. When he was just another face in the crowd and just another hybrid that people thought exotic.

He didn’t want to be the reason why there were debates and why people were arguing. Nor did he want to be in court and telling a chamber full of people and hybrids what exactly that bastard had done and was planning to do to him.

He wanted it all back and he hoped that after that bastard had been sentenced, he would get that. He wanted only to get better, raise his kits, and…

The door opened and in a moment, Zayn had walked in.

Liam held his breath as his heart swelled up with love at seeing him again. Harry had teased him about his reaction, calling him an infatuated sap whenever he saw Zayn come home. He didn’t care what he looked like. After being kidnapped and not knowing if he was ever going to see his mate again, Liam figured he could be as much of a sap as he wanted.

And Zayn felt the same, since his eyes would go lighter and he would break out into a broad grin whenever he saw Liam.

Just like he did now.

“How are you, love?”

He asked as he kicked off his shoes and hung up his coat before making a beeline for Liam and carefully embracing him. He knew that Liam wasn’t made out of china, yet he couldn’t help the over protectiveness and need to be tender with him. He had lost him once. He wasn’t about to lose or hurt him again if he could help it.

“Frustrated, to be honest.”

Liam admitted as he let Zayn wrap his arm around his waist and help him get to the kitchen table and sit down. He winced as his still sore legs protested slightly at the movement. The breaks had for the most part healed cleanly, but sometimes on damp and cold days, they did ache and Liam hoped that would pass like the rest of the discomfort from his injuries had.

Zayn didn’t comment verbally. He simply sat next to Liam and kissed his temple. He had learned when to not say anything, no matter how well meaning, when Liam was in that state of mind. He had learned, after the second month of counselling, that despite being well-meaning, it would make Liam angrier and even more discouraged that everything was still staying the same. It wasn’t, but at those times, he couldn’t see it.

Liam shook his head and pulled away to look at Zayn, his eyes softening as he looked at him.

“Where are Colin and Haz? Still with Ni and Harry?”

Liam nodded, reaching over Zayn for his half finished mug of Ovaltine. Taking a sip, he thanked the fates that it was still warm despite his little detour to grab his keys and his phone in preparation to leave for their weekly counselling appointment. It wasn’t exactly his favourite thing in the world, yet he would be an idiot to not admit that he and Zayn needed it after everything that had happened.

“Ni dropped by earlier to pick them up and give us some space, so they’ll keep our babies until the morning.”

Liam explained, feeling a slight twinge of guilt at not being with his kits. Even if it was for a short time, he missed them desperately. But they had learned the hard way that they needed the space to decompress after counselling sessions. The last time that they had tried to return to regular life, Gareth and Louis had to step in at the last moment and keep them for a week before everything was sorted out.

He and Zayn had grown stronger after that time, but they had learned their lesson to not take on so much when things were so raw and tender between them. They had gotten past Zayn’s fear of letting Liam down and Liam’s fear of being gotten rid of now that he perceived himself as damaged goods, but they still had to work on communicating and letting each other have some space.

Letting Louis and Ni babysit their kits was part of the situation. Ni and Harry now, since Louis and Gareth had just had their first baby and couldn’t make the trip from Sunderland as easily as they once had. Zayn and Niall missed them acutely, but until Gareth was offered a new contract elsewhere, they would have to settle for the random visits and loads of Skype time. He didn’t always like it, but he knew that it was part of the new life that he had to learn to navigate and had said as much to Zayn, who had agreed.

“It’s never going to be like it was in the beginning, but we can build something else together. I promise you Li, we can do that. I promise.”

Zayn had whispered after that horrific night as they sat in the living room after shouting themselves hoarse. He had said this and his eyes were bright and clear and honest and Liam trusted him to keep his promise. He knew that Zayn was right and they would get there. Even though it felt like it was a much too slow occurrence for him sometimes.

“Alright. Are you ready? We could stop for tea if you wanted.”

Liam’s eyes lit up. It had been far too long since he had gone out anywhere with Zayn. After the case had gone to trial and with his injuries, he couldn’t really go out and had to endure being cooped up and isolated yet again. But now that things had calmed down and he was more mobile, he was eager to get out.

Zayn smiled and kissed Liam, soft and gentle and enough to distract him and barely get the mostly empty mug on the table and put it in the sink.

“Good. Let’s go then.”

~*~*~*~*~

Niall had just come in from taking a shower and was about to call out to Harry that the shower was free when Harry appeared, his finger pressed to his lips as he looked at the kits sleeping in their bassinet on their bed. The sight made Niall, despite being an Alpha, coo at the sight. They were carefully wrapped in knitted blankets that were Harry’s handiwork and looking quite adorable. How Harry had gotten the usually fussy and energetic kits to settle down was a mystery to him.

He didn’t question it and instead kissed his mate and looked pointedly at the bathroom.

Harry pouted, since he didn’t quite like water as much as his litter mates. He also didn’t want to leave the kits, his own maternal instinct preventing him from going too far from them. Despite knowing that Niall would take care of them, he still was reluctant to go.

“Go. They’ll be okay. Take some time for yourself. Lord knows we won’t get that when they come.”

He whispered to his mate as he put his hand on Harry’s barely there bump. Harry blushed and chirruped at the reminder before he returned the kiss.

“I don’t want to leave them.”

“I know. But I’m here. They’re safe. Trust me, love.”

Niall murmured, ghosting his lips over Harry’s bonding mark, which he had placed on his collarbone in a break with tradition. Harry’s eyes fluttered and he let out a soft meow as Niall kissed the mark.

“On second thought, maybe it can wait till later.”

Harry laughed quietly at Niall’s about face.

“As long as we’re quiet, I think we can manage.”

Niall growled faintly in agreement before tugging Harry down to the carpet.


End file.
